Special Powers of Investigation Act

(Wet Bijzondere opsporingsbevoegdheden)

The Special Powers of Investigation Act or Wet BOB came into effect on 1 February 2000 and relates to an amendment to the Dutch Code of Criminal Procedure. The act is a direct result of the parliamentary inquiry into criminal investigation methods. The inquiry underlined the fact that there seemed to be a number of investigative processes that were unknown to many parties. The committee of inquiry (named, after its chairman, the Van Traa committee) investigated the various, often unknown, investigative methods. The Wet BOB now legally regulates methods of this nature.