A PYMNTS Company

Colombia: SIC ordered by Court to secure warrants before Dawn Raids

By  |  April 16, 2019

The Constitutional Court of Colombia clarified this week that the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC), the regulator of markets and free competition in the country, cannot carry out dawn raids or interrogate anyone suspected of competition violations without first having obtained a judge’s order. This, stated the Court, is in order to protect the privacy of citizens as well as public and private companies.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Despite being a key tool for the protection of consumer rights, the Court determined that authorities should seek oversight by the constitutional authority, which can balance the rights of the SIC to advance its investigations against the citizens’ rights to privacy.

    The SIC’s ability to carry out dawn raids was considered “excessively indeterminate,” so it was necessary to specify the tests that the SIC can perform. Even when these powers were adjusted to the constitution, Judge Alejandro Linares presented the argument, accepted by his colleagues, that these powers should be conditional to a prior consultation with a judge before carrying out such research tasks.

    Full Content: El Espectador

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.