Showdown over encryption password in child porn case

Ian Mason ukcrypto at chiark.greenend.org.uk
Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:07:45 +0000


On 17 Jan 2008, at 03:47, Peter Fairbrother wrote:

> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/16/encryption_password_showdown/
>
>
> Magistrate Judge Jerome J. Niedermeier wrote in a November ruling.  
> "If (the defendant) does know the password, he would be face with  
> the forbidden trilemma: incriminate himself, lie under oath, or  
> find himself in contempt of court."
>
>
>
> m-o-o-t isn't ready yet, but it's on the way. Also a surprise or  
> two on the SFS theory front :).
>
>
> -- Peter Fairbrother
>

I think that quote is subject to easy misinterpretation. The fuller  
story (see Peter's link) is that the Judge Magistrate was speaking in  
favour of a defendant withholding a password as being protected by  
the 5th amendment to the US constitution.