Accused computer hacker Lauri Love is in court today arguing with the National Crime Agency over whether the British government agency should return PCs they seized from him.

Love once again brought his application under the Police (Property) Act 1897, which gives members of the public a means to force police and others to return items seized during investigations.

Those items are a Fujitsu Siemens laptop, an Acer computer tower, a Compaq computer tower, a Samsung laptop “and attachments”, an SD card, a Western Digital hard drive and a hard drive from within one of the laptops.

Police Property Act hearings are normally held in private (with the public excluded) under Criminal Procedure Rule 47.

District Judge Margot Coleman, sitting at Hendon Magistrates’ Court today, agreed to lift that prohibition but made what she said was an order under Rule 47 that banned the press and the public in court today from publishing anything about the hearing other than the fact of Love's application, what property he wants to recover, and the outcome of the case.

The assembled press, including The Register, Central News, the BBC, the Guardian and others, challenged the order.

The case continues. A ruling on Love's application is expected by the end of the day. ®