Police were legally entitled to stop a Co Armagh man in his car for searches on up to 20 occasions, a High Court judge ruled.
Caolan Reynolds (23) claimed he was targeted because security forces suspected a relative is involved with dissident republicans.
He challenged the PSNI’s right to subject him to the repeated actions under the Justice and Security (NI) Act 2007 without reasonable suspicion.
But dismissing his case, Mr Justice Colton held: “The power… to stop and search permits an officer to search a person within a vehicle, assuming that the appropriate authorisation is in place.”
Mr Reynolds from Lurgan, said he was detained approximately 20 times between July 2019 and July 2020. On each occasion he had to get out of the car so police could search the vehicle and pat him down by the side of the road.
There is no suggestion that any illegal activity or items were ever detected.
Mr Reynolds said he believed police acted to pressurise him into providing information.
Under the Act, a constable who has obtained authorisation from an assistant chief constable is allowed to stop and search for munitions or wireless transmitters in specific locations.
Lawyers representing Mr Reynolds argued that the powers are limited to public places which do not cover those stopped in a car.
Counsel for the PSNI insisted, however, that authorised officers are entitled to stop and search cars in public or private places.
Backing the PSNI’s case, Mr Justice Colton noted the relevant provisions were not confined to public places.
He said the Act had “instituted a new regime based on an assessment of the risk of endangerment to members of the public by the use of munitions or wireless apparatus and the necessity to authorise the exercise of stop and search powers”.