103. The Act of 1984 is amended by the substitution of the following sections for section 8:

“ Destruction of fingerprints, palm prints and photographs

8. (1) A fingerprint, palm print or photograph of a person taken in pursuance of the powers conferred by section 6 or 6A shall, if not previously destroyed, be destroyed in accordance with this section and sections 8A to 8I.

(2) Subject to section 8A, a fingerprint, palm print or photograph of a person referred to in subsection (1) shall, if not previously destroyed, be destroyed in any of the following circumstances not later than the expiration of the period of 3 months from the date on which such circumstances first apply to the person:

(a) where proceedings for an offence to which section 4 applies—

(i) are not instituted against the person within the period of 12 months from the date of the taking of the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned, and the failure to institute such proceedings within that period is not due to the fact that he or she has absconded or cannot be found, or

(ii) have been instituted and—

(I) the person is acquitted of the offence,

(II) the charge against the person in respect of the offence is dismissed under section 4E of the Criminal Procedure Act 1967, or

(III) the proceedings for the offence are discontinued;

(b) the person is the subject of an order under section 1(1) of the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 in respect of the offence concerned in connection with which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken and he or she has not been convicted of an offence to which section 4 applies during the period of 3 years from the making of the order under that Act;

(c) subject to subsection (3), the person is the subject of an order under section 1(2) of the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 in respect of the offence concerned in connection with which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken and he or she has not been convicted of an offence to which section 4 applies during the period of 3 years from the making of the order under that Act;

(d) the person’s conviction for the offence concerned in connection with which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken is quashed;

(e) the person’s conviction for the offence concerned in connection with which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken is declared to be a miscarriage of justice under section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993.

(3) Subsection (2)(c) shall not apply to an order under section 1(2) of the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 discharged on the appeal of a person against conviction for the offence concerned if on appeal his or her conviction is affirmed.

(4) For the purposes of this section the ‘retention period’, in relation to a fingerprint, palm print or photograph, means the period from the taking of the fingerprint, palm print or photograph, as the case may be, from a person to the latest date for the destruction of that fingerprint, palm print or photograph under subsection (2).

Extension of retention period under section 8 for fingerprints, palm prints and photographs in certain circumstances

8A. (1) A fingerprint, palm print or photograph taken from or of a person shall not be destroyed under section 8 in any case in which the Commissioner determines that any of the following circumstances apply:

(a) a decision has not been taken whether or not to institute proceedings against the person for the offence concerned in connection with which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken;

(b) the investigation of that offence has not been concluded;

(c) the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned, and the results of any examination or analysis of it, are likely to be required for the prosecution of an offence connected with the event, incident or circumstances the subject of the offence concerned—

(i) for use as evidence in such proceedings,

(ii) for disclosure to, or use by, a defendant in such proceedings, or

(iii) to support the admissibility of any evidence on which the prosecution may seek to rely in such proceedings;

(d) having regard to the matters specified in subsection (2), the Commissioner believes it is necessary to retain the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned in connection with the investigation of the offence concerned taking account of all the circumstances of the case and the reasons why—

(i) proceedings for that offence have not been instituted against the person, or

(ii) if such proceedings have been instituted against the person, they were determined without he or she being convicted of the offence concerned or he or she being the subject of an order under section 1(1) of the Probation of Offenders Act 1907;

(e) there are reasonable grounds for believing that the fingerprint, palm print or photograph of the person may be required in connection with the investigation of an offence to which section 4 applies, other than the offence in connection with which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph was taken, which the person is suspected of having committed.

(2) The matters referred to in subsection (1)(d) to which the Commissioner shall have regard are the following:

(a) whether the person concerned has any previous conviction for an offence similar in nature or gravity to the offence concerned in connection with which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken from or of him or her;

(b) the nature and seriousness of that offence;

(c) whether any alleged victim, or any intended victim, of that offence was—

(i) a child,

(ii) a vulnerable person, or

(iii) associated with the person,

at the time of the commission, or alleged commission, of that offence; and

(d) any other matter that the Commissioner considers appropriate for the purposes of the determination.

(3) If, in relation to a fingerprint, palm print or photograph taken from or of a person, the Commissioner determines that one of the paragraphs of subsection (1) applies, then, he or she may, during the retention period referred to in section 8, give an authorisation to extend that period by a period of 12 months.

(4) The Commissioner may, while an authorisation under subsection (3) or this subsection, as may be appropriate, is still in force, give an authorisation under this subsection to extend the retention period on a second or further occasion for a period of 12 months commencing on the expiration of the period of 12 months to which the authorisation previously given relates if he or she determines that one of the paragraphs of subsection (1) applies.

(5) Whenever the Commissioner gives an authorisation under subsection (3) or (4), he or she shall, in relation to a fingerprint, palm print or photograph taken from or of a person that is the subject of the authorisation, cause the person to be informed by notice in writing that the authorisation has been given under subsection (3) or (4), as may be appropriate, the date on which that authorisation was given and of the right of appeal under subsection (6).

(6) The person to whom the authorisation concerned relates (in this section called ‘the appellant’) may, within the period of 3 months from the date of the notice under subsection (5) concerned, appeal to the District Court against that authorisation.

(7) An appeal under subsection (6) shall—

(a) be on notice to the Commissioner, and

(b) be heard otherwise than in public.

(8) If, on an appeal under subsection (6), the District Court—

(a) confirms the authorisation concerned, or

(b) allows the appeal,

the Commissioner shall give effect to the decision of the Court.

(9) The jurisdiction conferred on the District Court by this section shall be exercised by a judge of the District Court who is assigned to the district court district in which the appellant ordinarily resides or, if the appellant does not ordinarily reside in the State, by a judge of the District Court who is assigned to the district court district in which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken.

(10) The District Court may make such order as to costs as it considers appropriate on an appeal under subsection (6).

(11) In this section—

‘child’ means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years;

‘civil partner’ has the meaning it has in section 3 of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010;

‘cohabitant’, in relation to a person, means another person who is neither married to the person nor a civil partner of the person who is living with the person as a husband or wife, or as a civil partner, of the person;

‘vulnerable person’ means a person, other than a child, whose capacity to guard himself or herself against violence, exploitation or abuse, whether physical, sexual or emotional, by another person is significantly impaired through—

(a) a physical disability, illness or injury,

(b) a disorder of the mind, whether as a result of mental illness or dementia, or

(c) an intellectual disability.

(12) For the purposes of this section a person shall be regarded as associated with another person if—

(a) he or she is a spouse or a former spouse of the person,

(b) he or she is a civil partner or a former civil partner of the person,

(c) he or she is a cohabitant or a former cohabitant of the person,

(d) he or she is a relative of the person, or

(e) he or she has or has had an intimate personal relationship with the person for a significant period of time.

(13) Nothing in this section shall—

(a) prevent or restrict the exercise of powers conferred by section 6 or 6A, or

(b) pending the conclusion of proceedings under this section, prevent or restrict the use of the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned for the purposes of—

(i) this Act,

(ii) a criminal investigation, or

(iii) other proceedings.

Destruction of fingerprints, palm prints and photographs in exceptional circumstances

8B. (1) Notwithstanding sections 8 and 8A, if the Commissioner is satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist that justify the destruction of a fingerprint, palm print or photograph of a person, the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned shall be destroyed as soon as practicable after the application of those circumstances in relation to that fingerprint, palm print or photograph becomes known.

(2) The exceptional circumstances referred to in subsection (1) are the following:

(a) it is established, at any time after the detention of the person concerned under section 4 for the purposes of the investigation of an offence to which that section applies during which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken, that no such offence was committed;

(b) it is established that the detention of the person concerned under section 4 for the purposes of the investigation of an offence to which that section applies during which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken was on the basis of the mistaken identity of the person concerned as the perpetrator of that offence; or

(c) it is determined by a court that the detention of the person concerned under section 4 for the purposes of the investigation of an offence to which that section applies during which the fingerprint, palm print or photograph concerned was taken was unlawful.

Dismissal of charges, quashing of convictions and determination of proceedings

8C. (1) For the purposes of section 8, a charge against a person in respect of an offence to which section 4 applies shall be regarded as dismissed when—

(a) the time for bringing an appeal against the dismissal has expired,

(b) any such appeal has been withdrawn or abandoned, or

(c) on any such appeal, the dismissal is upheld.

(2) In sections 8 and 8A, references to a conviction of a person for an offence to which section 4 applies shall be construed as including references to a conviction of the person for such an offence after a re-trial for that offence.

(3) In section 8, a reference to a conviction of a person for an offence to which section 4 applies being quashed shall, subject to subsection (4), be construed as a reference to where a court hearing an appeal against the conviction makes an order quashing the conviction and, if the court is the Court of Criminal Appeal, either—

(a) it does not order the person to be re-tried for the offence concerned, or

(b) it does not substitute for the verdict a verdict of guilty of another offence that is an offence to which section 4 applies.

(4) A conviction of a person for an offence to which section 4 applies shall not be regarded as quashed for the purposes of section 8 if an appeal is contemplated, or taken, under section 23 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2010 or, on hearing the appeal, the Supreme Court quashes the acquittal of the person or reverses the decision of the Court of Criminal Appeal, as the case may be, and orders the person to be re-tried for the offence.

(5) In section 8A, references to the proceedings in respect of an offence being determined shall be construed as references to where those proceedings are finally determined (including any appeal, whether by way of case stated or otherwise, rehearing or retrial).

Circumstances in which person to be informed of destruction of fingerprint, palm print or photograph

8D. If, in relation to a fingerprint, palm print or photograph taken from or of a person under section 6 or 6A, the retention period under section 8 is extended on one or more occasions under section 8A, the Commissioner shall, upon the expiration of that period (as so extended), cause the person from or of whom the fingerprint, palm print or photograph was taken to be informed by notice in writing as soon as may be after the fingerprint, palm print or photograph has been destroyed of its destruction.

Application of certain sections to Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission

8E. The references in sections 8A, 8B, 8D and 8H to the Commissioner shall, for the purposes of the application of those sections to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, be construed as references to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

Delegation of functions of Commissioner under certain sections

8F. (1) The Commissioner may, in writing, delegate any of his or her functions under sections 8A, 8B, 8D and 8H to—

(a) members of the Garda Síochána specified by rank or name, or

(b) members of the civilian staff of the Garda Síochána by grade, position, name or otherwise.

(2) A delegation under this section may—

(a) relate to the performance of a function either generally or in a particular case or class of case or in respect of a particular matter,

(b) be made subject to conditions or restrictions, and

(c) be revoked or varied by the Commissioner at any time.

(3) The delegation of a function under this section does not preclude the Commissioner from performing the function.

(4) Where the functions of the Commissioner under a provision of sections 8A, 8B, 8D and 8H are delegated to a person, any references in that provision to the Commissioner shall be construed as references to that person.

(5) An act or thing done by a person pursuant to a delegation under this section has the same force and effect as if done by the Commissioner.

Service of notices

8G. A notice that is required to be sent or given to a person under section 8A or 8D may be sent or given to the person in one of the following ways:

(a) by delivering it to the person or his or her solicitor;

(b) by addressing it to the person and leaving it at the address at which he or she ordinarily resides or, in a case in which an address for service has been furnished, at that address or by addressing it to his or her solicitor and leaving it at the solicitor’s office;

(c) by sending it to the person by post in a prepaid registered letter to the address at which he or she ordinarily resides or, in a case in which an address for service has been furnished, to that address or to his or her solicitor at the solicitor’s office.

Records

8H. (1) Subject to subsection (2), a person who is required under sections 8 to 8B to destroy, or cause to be destroyed, a fingerprint, palm print or photograph shall ensure that the fingerprint, palm print or photograph, every copy thereof and every record relating to the fingerprint, palm print or photograph insofar as it identifies the person from or of whom the fingerprint, palm print or photograph has been taken, are destroyed.

(2) Subsection (1) shall operate in a manner that permits the Commissioner to retain such records as may be required by him or her to show that section 8D has been complied with.

(3) In this section ‘record’, in relation to a fingerprint, palm print or photograph, includes a copy of a record.

Application of sections 8 to 8H

8I. Sections 8 to 8H shall apply to a fingerprint, palm print or photograph of a person taken in pursuance of the powers conferred by section 6 or 6A whether taken before or after the commencement of this section.”.