For the first time in Fiji, a law has been created to deal with all types of computer offences.
The Crimes Decree includes offences dealing with people going into other people's email accounts without authorization, which means that computer hacking is now an offence.
Other offences cover people who go into other's email account or database to modify data and the third category deals with people hacking into somebody's email account in order to commit other serious offences like accessing credit card numbers without authorization.
Former High Judge Nazhat Shameem said these types of offences never existed before, which shows how really out of date the Penal Code was.
Shameem said in line with the new computer offences, the offence of larceny is now replaced with theft.
Shameem explains how the offence of theft works under the Crimes Decree.
A person can spend ten years behind bars if he or she causes any unauthorized modification of data held in a computer.
The decree states that a person may be guilty even if there is or will be no actual impairment to access to data held in a computer or the reliability, security or operation of any such data.
Causing unauthorized impairment of electronic communication also carries a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment.
Crimes Decree now includes Computer Crimes
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