Top court suspends warrantless tracking of smugglers

The Constitutional Court has suspended legislative amendments that allow the warrantless use of tracking devices to target smugglers of products such as tobacco that are liable for excise duty.

The challenged provision, which will remain suspended until the court has reached a final decision, stipulates that approval by the head of the Financial Administration is sufficient to install location tracking devices on vehicles.

The review was requested in late January by Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina, who said the provision "encroached on privacy, which is a...