Section 487.012 — Criminal Code: Preservation demand

A peace officer or public officer may make a demand to a person in Form 5.001 requiring them to preserve computer data that is in their possession or control when the demand is made. The peace officer or public officer may make the demand only if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence has been or will be committed under this or any other Act of Parliament or has been committed under a law of a foreign state; in the case of an offence committed under a law of a foreign state, an investigation is being conducted by a person or authority with responsibility in that state for the investigation of such offences; and the computer data is in the person’s possession or control and will assist in the investigation of the offence. A demand may not be made to a person who is under investigation for the offence referred to in paragraph (2)(a). A peace officer or public officer may revoke the demand by notice given to the person at any time. Unless the demand is revoked earlier, the demand expires in the case of an offence that has been or will be committed under this or any other Act of Parliament, 21 days after the day on which it is made;

and in the case of an offence committed under a law of a foreign state, 90 days after the day on which it is made. The peace officer or public officer who makes the demand may impose any conditions in the demand that they consider appropriate — including conditions prohibiting the disclosure of its existence or some or all of its contents — and may revoke a condition at any time by notice given to the person. A peace officer or public officer may not make another demand requiring the person to preserve the same computer data in connection with the investigation.