Former commissioner of police Gary Griffith said yesterday he supported the Government’s proposal to require people 16 and older to possess identification in public spaces, arguing that the measure could improve law enforcement without unnecessarily inconveniencing the public.

Acknowledging that some people would view the proposal as excessive, Griffith said similar legislation existed in other countries and served practical policing purposes.

“I know many people will see this as a dictatorial approach, and speak about it being a police state and so forth. However, there are many countries that have a similar type of law,” he told the Express.