What must be present for a chief judge to authorize interception of private communication?

The authorization for the interception of private communications by a chief judge is rooted in legal standards that aim to protect individual privacy while also balancing the needs of law enforcement. The correct answer centers around the requirement of probable cause, which is a legal standard that necessitates certain criteria to be met.

In this context, the presence of probable cause is crucial. It means there must be a reasonable basis to believe that the interception of communication will yield evidence concerning an offense. This goes beyond mere suspicion or conjecture. The law seeks to ensure that such intrusions into private communication are justified and not arbitrary.

Therefore, for a chief judge to authorize interception, there must be sufficient evidence suggesting that a crime, particularly a felony, is actively being committed or that there is a reasonable belief that such activity is occurring. This is designed to protect individual rights while allowing law enforcement to conduct investigations in appropriately serious situations.

The other options do not encapsulate the legal threshold necessary for interception orders as effectively. The refusal of an aggrieved person to provide consent is often a key point but does not replace the legal necessity of demonstrating probable cause.