Ministry of Justice fined over prison data loss – BBC News

Posted August 26th, 2014 in data protection, fines, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice has been fined £180,000 for “serious failings” in the handling of confidential data.’

Full story

BBC News, 26th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tribunals to rule on disputes over re-use of public sector information – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 21st, 2014 in data protection, EC law, news, tribunals by sally

‘Information rights tribunals will be able to provide binding rulings on public bodies’ re-use of non-personal information under new plans unveiled by the UK government’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 20th August 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Judges could hear information rights tribunal cases on their own – OUT-LAW.com

‘Judges could determine the outcome of some information rights tribunal cases on their own in future under just-published proposals.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 19th August 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Information Commissioner sounds alarm over lawyers’ handling of personal data – Legal Futures

‘The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a warning to solicitors and barristers over the need to keep personal information secure, especially paper files, in the wake of “a number of data breaches” in recent months.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 6th August 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyers must step up data protection measures after series of breaches, says watchdog – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 6th, 2014 in barristers, data protection, documents, news, ombudsmen, privacy, solicitors by sally

‘Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, highlights a series of recent privacy breaches by barristers and solicitors.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th August 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

What is the point of victim impact statements? – The Independent

Posted August 6th, 2014 in bereavement, confidentiality, data protection, evidence, judges, murder, news, parole, victims by sally

‘A parole judge has apologised to bereaved parents for saying that victim impact statements make no difference. So what are they really for? Paul Gallagher finds out.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th August 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

DRIP – Data Retention Regulations come into force – Panopticon

‘The introduction of the controversial draft Data Retention Regulations 2014 has already been discussed by my colleague Robin Hopkins in his excellent post last month. The Regulations now have the force of law, having come into force on 31 July 2014 – see the Regulations here. In his post, Robin made the point that, following the judgment in Digital Rights Ireland, there were two methods for curtailing the infringement of privacy rights presupposed by the existing communications data retention (CDR) regime: either cut back on the data retention requirements provided for under the legislation, so as generally to limit the potential for interference with privacy rights, or introduce more robust safeguards with a view to ensuring that any interference with privacy rights is proportionate and otherwise justified. The Government, which has evidently opted for the latter approach in the new Regulations, will now need to persuade a somewhat sceptical public that the safeguards which have been adopted in the legislation strike the right balance as between the protection of privacy rights on the one hand and the imperative to support criminal law enforcement functions on the other.’

Full story

Panopticon, 5th August 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

The death of privacy – The Guardian

‘Google knows what you’re looking for. Facebook knows what you like. Sharing is the norm, and secrecy is out. But what is the psychological and cultural fallout from the end of privacy?’

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd August 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

George Galloway’s ex-aide discharged over data breach – BBC News

‘A former aide to George Galloway MP who admitted obtaining personal data illegally has received a 12-month conditional discharge.’

Full story

BBC News, 31st July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The ‘right to be forgotten’ simply doesn’t exist – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 31st, 2014 in data protection, EC law, internet, news, privacy by michael

‘Most people have moments in their past that they would prefer not to be in the spotlight. What if, when you enter your name in Google, the first thing that comes up is a link to an episode that you would like to be forgotten. Can it be forgotten? If it can, should it be? Should you have a right to have the link deleted? And based on what procedure?’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st July 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Max Mosley to sue Google over sex party images – The Independent

Posted July 30th, 2014 in data protection, internet, media, news, privacy by sally

‘The ex-Formula 1 boss Max Mosley is suing Google for continuing to publish images of him with prostitutes at a sex party.’

Full story

The Independent, 30th July 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Right to be forgotten is unworkable, say peers – The Guardian

Posted July 30th, 2014 in data protection, EC law, internet, news, privacy by sally

‘A “right to be forgotten” – enforcing the removal of online material – is wrong in principle and unworkable in practice, a parliamentary committee has said.’

Full story

The Guardian, 30th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Drip surveillance law faces legal challenge by MPs – The Guardian

‘The application for a judicial review of the new legislation, which was passed with support from the three main parties, is to be mounted by the human rights organisation Liberty on behalf of the two backbench MPs.’

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law Commission urges full reform project on data sharing and public bodies – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 22nd, 2014 in consultations, data protection, Law Commission, news, privacy, reports by sally

‘The Law Commission has this month recommended that a full law reform project should be carried out “in order to create a principled and clear legal structure for data sharing, which will meet the needs of society”.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 21st July 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

DRIP: 5 unjust government arguments – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘It is suggested that the USA PATRIOT Act, legislation swiftly enacted by US Congress in the wake of the 11 September 2001 terrorist act was a “backronym” designed to play on the national pride around at the time. Clever political manoeuvring? Potentially so.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 16th July 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Will Drip law make UK citizens’ data more attractive to hackers? – The Guardian

‘The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers (Drip) bill that yesterday cleared the House of Lords will make companies holding UK citizens’ communications data far more attractive to criminal hackers, a security expert has warned.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Data Retention & Investigatory Powers Bill receives Royal Assent – Home Office

‘Legislation to ensure UK law enforcement and intelligence agencies continue to have access to the vital evidence and information they need to investigate criminal activity, prevent terrorism and protect the public has today (Thursday 17 July) received Royal Assent.’

Full press release

Home Office, 17th July 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

YS v Minister voor Immigratie, Integratie en Asiel; Minister voor Immigratie, Integratie en Asiel v M and another – WLR Daily

YS v Minister voor Immigratie, Integratie en Asiel; Minister voor Immigratie, Integratie en Asiel v M and another; (Joined Cases C-141/12 and C-372/12) ECLI:EU:C:2014:2081; [2014] WLR (D) 324

‘Article 2(a) of Parliament and Council Directive 95/46/EC meant that data relating to an applicant for a residence permit contained in an administrative document amounted to “personal data”. Article 12(a) of Directive 95/46 and article 8(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union meant that an applicant for a residence permit had a right of access to all personal data concerning him which were processed by the national administrative authorities within the meaning of article 2(b). For that right to be complied with, it was sufficient that the applicant was in possession of a full summary of those data in an intelligible form, which allowed the applicant to become aware of those data and to check that they were accurate and processed in compliance with that Directive, so that he could, where relevant, exercise the rights conferred on him by that Directive. Article 41(2)(b) of the Charter meant that the applicant for a residence permit could not rely on that provision against the national authorities.’

WLR Daily, 17th July 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Terrorism laws watchdog issues warning over security services scrutiny – The Guardian

‘David Anderson says privacy and civil liberties board that is planned to replace his job must have unfettered access.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Record number of data complaints made to ICO – BBC News

Posted July 16th, 2014 in appeals, complaints, data protection, disclosure, fines, news, nuisance, privacy, statistics by sally

‘The UK’s information commissioner has called for better funding for the country’s data regulator amid a record number of cases.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk