Legal compulsion and crypto

[David Swarbrick]

In message <199807052009.VAA06900@clw.cs.man.ac.uk>, Charles Lindsey
<chl@clw.cs.man.ac.uk> writes
>       On Sat, 4 Jul 1998 8:28 +0100 (BST)
>       hcorn@cix.co.uk (Peter Sommer) said...
>
>> (4) The constable may require any information which is contained in
>> a computer and is accessible from the premises [ie premises identified in
>> the warrant under which the seizure is taking place] to be produced in a
>> form in which it can be taken away and in which it is visible and legible
>> if he has reasonable grounds for believing -

There is no requirement for the clause in the last line.
>
>Constable:
>   Ah! I see you are using PGP. Ah! I see you have a file entitled
>   "secring" there. Please be so good as to show it to me in visible and
>   legible form.

I believe that if it came before a court a court would require the
decryption  - but this always assumes that the file is encrypted with a
key of which the converse key is held on te keyring to which you refer.


-- 
David Swarbrick, Solicitor. Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
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'damn fine webbery"