The government has amended its proposed phone-tapping legislation, with the latest amendment set would allow the attorney-general of the day to order the interception of telecommunications without prior court approval, under narrowly defined “exceptional circumstances” linked to state security.

The bill, recently approved by cabinet, was presented in a closed session of the House legal affairs committee, attended by incumbent attorney-general George Savvides, his deputy, Savvas Angelides, Justice Minister Costas Fitiris, and other senior intelligence officials.

The intention is to pass the bill through parliament before its dissolution on April 23 ahead of the May parliamentary elections.

The draft law makes two significant changes from the original agreed in early February.

It expands the list of serious offences for which the attorney-general may apply to a court to lift telecommunications secrecy, and, more controversially, it introduces a mechanism allowing phone tapping without any judicial approval.

Under the proposal, the attorney-general would be able, in exceptional cases, to give written authorisation directly to the intelligence services or the police chief of the day to monitor communications “for reasons of state security”.

This would mark the first time a court is fully bypassed in the surveillance process.

The power would rest on a proposed constitutional amendment, which states that interference with communications may occur “upon written approval of the attorney-general, given in accordance with the provisions of the law, and where the interference constitutes a measure which is necessary in the interest of preventing and countering activities constituting a threat to the security and sovereignty of the republic”.

MPs were told that two companion bills are being drafted to regulate how the new framework would operate in practice, including safeguards intended to address concerns over the removal of judicial oversight.

All three bills are expected to be debated together in a plenary session of parliament once finalised.

The justice ministry argues the changes are essential to strengthen the fight against organised crime and national security threats, pointing to the growing use of encrypted and mobile communications by syndicates.

It has said the aim is to equip authorities with “a powerful weapon”, while maintaining proportionality and legality.

President Nikos Christodoulides, speaking after the earlier cabinet approval, that the measures were “necessary and proportionate”, adding that they would operate “within strict legal conditions and judicial control”.

The bill also revives a phone-tapping law passed in 2020 under former president Nicos Anastasiades’ tenure, that never came into force due to technical and legal shortcomings.

Since then, telecoms providers including Cyta, Cablenet, Epic and Primetel have installed lawful interception systems, and outstanding issues on data storage, access and retention have been resolved, according to the government.

Civil liberties groups and media organisations have previously warned that expanded surveillance powers risk eroding privacy and chilling free expression if not tightly controlled.

In response, the justice ministry has affirmed the revised framework is aligned with European legal standards and includes strict limits on duration, scope and use of any intercepted material, as well as parliamentary oversight of data handling.