"USA land of the free..."
Really what happened with your country ? In EU you can't imprison someone for not decrypting hard drive if he says it can incriminate him, everyone understand this but not the biggest democracy in the world?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_disclosure_law#United_King...
As for "land of the free", that's propaganda.
At least in the US, there's an absolute right against self-incrimination, guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment. The higher courts have been pretty clear, going all the way back to combination locks, that coercing a password would constitute requiring a defendant to incriminate him or herself.
The actions of the judge should be overturned based not only on existing precedent, and principles of fairness and good faith, but also because they violate the privilege against self-incrimination.
Huh? What gives you that idea (at least for Germany [0], Switzerland, France(-ish), etc. it is demonstrable false)?
Even the European Court of Human Rights holds that you have the right to remain silent despite there not being a article specifying this as such.
[0] And it does indeed extend to passwords here
That is extremely different than a prohibition against self-incrimination.
In France, you actually have to take the stand at trial. However, if you do so under the coercion of the court, you cannot be prosecuted for perjury for anything you say during your testimony. So essentially you can lie, in matters both small and large.
In Germany they are not allowed to do that (the police might tell you that, but they tend to be somewhat misleading).
> That is extremely different than a prohibition against self-incrimination.
And this prohibition is actual a central principle of the German law system (and the right to remain silent follows from this).
And the common advice from lawyers here is exactly the same as it is in the US, do use the right to remain silent. Even if you are innocent.. you have nothing to gain by talking (especially without lawyer present).