Helen Martin appointed first Director of Criminal Justice International Cooperation

Helen Martin has been appointed by Government as Director of the new Office of Criminal Justice International Cooperation.

The Office is being established in Ireland to streamline cross-border cooperation in the area of criminal digital evidence, making it easier for law enforcement in EU Member States to obtain and share electronic evidence as part of a criminal investigation.

This new office was provided for in the Criminal Justice (International Cooperation on Electronic Evidence and Other Matters) Act 2026 which was signed into law by the President on 15 July 2026. This legislation enables functions under both the e-Evidence Regulation and the e-Evidence Directive, which are collectively known as the e-Evidence Package.

The Office of the Director of Criminal Justice International Cooperation is designated as the competent authority for a number of roles under the e-Evidence Package. The Office will receive and assess notifications under the e-Evidence Regulation, and enforce European Production Orders and European Preservation Orders on behalf of another Member State, in accordance with Article 16 of the Regulation.

A large number of technology and information communications service providers with operations and headquarters in the State will participate in this system, and it is estimated that the number of production orders issued to those service providers will be in the hundreds of thousands annually.

The establishment of this function is a deliverable under Ireland’s new National Digital and AI Strategy - Digital Ireland, which aims to strengthen Ireland’s position as an EU Centre of Excellence and digital regulatory hub, ensuring a modern, cohesive and well-resourced digital regulatory framework.

Read the full press release.

Read more about the EU e-Evidence Package.