The Computer Misuse Act has been invoked against 2 local lawyers for accessing computer data without authority, while serving out their post-resignation notice period at their former firm. Both were charged in the Subordinate Courts on 16 January 2001.
One of the lawyers had allegedly asked her husband to cause the firm’s computer system to allow her to gain access to the data in December 1999. She had also allegedly instructed her husband to copy files stored in the firm’s Intranet folder as well as legal precedents in the firm’s database.
Her colleague was accused of accessing the firm’s computer server without authorisation as well as copying legal precedents from the firm’s archive.
Represented by the same lawyer, the two accused persons were released on bail amounting to S$8,000 and S$5,000 respectively. Their passports were also impounded.
The maximum penalty for unauthorised access to computer data is a fine of S$5,000 and 2 years’ imprisonment.
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