Key ruling on charging for property search information out in early October – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Justice of the European Union will in the next fortnight hand down a crucial ruling on local authorities’ ability to charge for access to property search information, it has been reported.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd September 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Should national security ever trump the right to a fair trial? – The Guardian

‘A ruling on whether ‘secret’ evidence from convicted murderer Wang Yam can be heard at the European court of human rights has far wider significance.’

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The Guardian, 22nd September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Syria drone strikes: UK attorney general refuses to disclose advice – The Guardian

‘The attorney general has refused to disclose his advice about the legality of RAF drone strikes in Syria, citing collective cabinet responsibility and the need for law officers to give “full and frank” opinions.’

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The Guardian, 16th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

No need to scour internet when assessing whether personal data is sensitive, UK tribunal rules – OUT-LAW.com

‘Businesses are not expected to scour the internet and other sources to check whether there is any information that, when linked with personal data they hold, would mean the data they hold is in fact sensitive personal data, according to a new UK ruling.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st September 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Date fixed for Lord Janner hearing – BBC News

‘A judge will decide at a hearing on 7 December whether Lord Janner, who is facing child sex abuse charges spanning three decades, is fit to plead.’

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BBC News, 1st September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Chilcot report delays blamed on ‘vested interests’ – The Guardian

Posted September 1st, 2015 in delay, disclosure, documents, evidence, inquiries, Iraq, judges, news, reports, war by sally

‘Anger over continued delays in the publication of the report into the Iraq war has swung back against the government with allegations that “vested interests” have tried to suppress evidence.’

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The Guardian, 29th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Subject access request ruling could have implications for confidentiality of businesses’ internal reports, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 28th, 2015 in data protection, disclosure, news, police by sally

‘Businesses that investigate data security incidents or potential cases of customer fraud could have greater scope to keep their internal documents secret as a result of a ruling by the High Court in London, an expert has said.’
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OUT-LAW.com, 28th October 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Operation Motorman: Latin, Leveson and Personal Data – Panopticon

‘In Information Commissioner v Colenso-Dunne [2015] UKUT 471 (AAC), the UT was considering an appeal by the ICO concerning an order of the FTT that it disclose names of journalists that the ICO had seized during a raid on the home of Steve Whittamore in 2003. The raid was known as Operation Motorman, and it is generally supposed that Mr Whittamore, a private investigator, had a list of journalist who used his morally and legally dubious services.’

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Panopticon, 28th August 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Refusing a subject access request: proportionality, anxious scrutiny and judicial discretion – Panopticon

Posted August 26th, 2015 in burden of proof, data protection, disclosure, news, police, proportionality by sally

‘Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis [2015] EWHC 2484 (QB), a judgment of Green J handed down today, is an interesting – if somewhat fact-specific – contribution to the burgeoning body of case law on how subject access requests (SARs) made under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) should be approached, both by data controllers and by courts.’

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Panopticon, 25th August 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Jeremy Bamber: Petition to release case documents – BBC News

Posted August 17th, 2015 in disclosure, documents, murder, news, police, public interest immunity by sally

‘Campaigners fighting for the release of convicted murderer Jeremy Bamber have started a petition asking for documents relating to his case to be released.’

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BBC News, 15th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dawson-Damer and others v Taylor Wessing LLP and others – WLR Daily

Dawson-Damer and others v Taylor Wessing LLP and others [2015] EWHC 2366 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 361

‘The purpose of section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 entitling an individual to have access to information in the form of his “personal data” was to enable him to check whether the data controller’s processing of it unlawfully infringed his privacy and, if so, to take such steps as the Act provided, to protect it. It was no part of its purpose to enable the individual to obtain discovery of documents that might assist him in litigation or complaints against third parties.’

WLR Daily, 6th August 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Mental health background checks: new guidance issued by Home Office – The Guardian

‘New guidelines to be issued by the Home Office will make clear the factors that must be considered before mental health crises are disclosed in background checks made on people applying to work with vulnerable groups.’

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The Guardian, 9th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

On fairness and principle: the legacy of ZZ re-examined – Michael Rhimes – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Kiani v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWCA Civ 776 (21 July 2015). In my last post on UKHRB I commented on developments in UK, ECHR and EU jurisprudence relating to procedural fairness in the context of national security.
The developments in this recent case offer some further interesting thoughts on the topic.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th August 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Sarah’s Law is ‘not working’, NSPCC warn – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 30th, 2015 in criminal records, disclosure, news, police by sally

‘Just one in six applications to the police under Sarah’s Law is successful according to figures obtained by the NSPCC under the Freedom of Information Act.’

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Daily Telegraph, 30th July 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Seventh Veil? – New Square Chambers

Posted July 28th, 2015 in company law, consultations, disclosure, news, regulations by sally

‘Mark Hubbard considers new legislation requiring greater transparency in the ownership and management of companies.’

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New Square Chambers, 29th June 2015

Source: www.newsquarechambers.co.uk

How Interesting? The public interest disclosure requirement of s.43B(1) of the Employment Rights Act – No. 5 Chambers

Posted July 27th, 2015 in disclosure, employment, news, public interest, whistleblowers by sally

‘Not everything that may be interesting to the public is likely to be ‘in the public interest’. But is that a commonly held or understood view? Does the retention of a subjective test in s.43B(1) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (detriment due to the making of a ‘public interest’ disclosure) mean that the purpose of the 2013 amendment to that section will not always achieve the intended aim?’
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No. 5 Chambers, 30th July 2015

Source: www.no5.com

Ring Fencing – New Square Chambers

Posted July 27th, 2015 in Crown Court, disclosure, news, self-incrimination, stay of proceedings by sally

‘There is an important question of the circumstances in which a civil trial can take place during the period when a defendant is being prosecuted for related matters in the Crown Court.’

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New Square Chambers, 29th June 2015

Source: www.newsquarechambers.co.uk

Foreigners must disclose criminal records to come to UK – but European Union is exempt – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 21st, 2015 in criminal records, disclosure, immigration, news, visas by tracey

‘Immigrants from outside Europe will be required to provide details of their criminal records or be refused entry to Britain, under new measures to be introduced by the Government. From September everyone applying to come to Britain under certain visa routes will have to provide proof of criminal record checks from every country they have lived in for the last 10 years.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th July 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Former employee found guilty over Morrisons data theft – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Andrew Skelton, a former employee of Morrisons supermarket has today (17 July) been found guilty of fraud, securing unauthorised access to computer material and disclosing personal data. He has been sentenced to eight years at Bradford Crown Court, in relation to stealing personal data belonging to nearly 100,000 Morrisons employees.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 17th July 2015

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Secret ‘Practice Directions’ and Royal Wills – Panopticon

‘Mr Brown became a well-known figure in litigation circles when he sought to unseal the Will of Princess Margaret in the belief that it might reveal information showing him to be her illegitimate son. In the course of his unsuccessful litigation, it was revealed that there existed what had been described orally during the court proceedings as a “Practice Direction in respect of the handling of Royal Wills” (although there is dispute over precisely what form this document takes and whether it is really a Practice Direction at all), produced by the-then President of the Family Division following liaison with the Royal Household.’

Full story

Panopticon, 16th July 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com