With recent high profile data losses, phone hacking scandals
and MP expense controversies highlighting the importance of
sensitive and personal details, Information Law, and in particular
Data Protection compliance, is more crucial than ever.
This has become even more pertinent with
a growing trend towards mobile working, and an increasing reliance
on small hand held devices, such as USBs and Smart Phones.
At Weightmans our expert team provides advice
on all aspects of Information Law, including:
- Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998
- Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000
- Environmental Information Regulations
2004
- Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
2000
- Reuse of Public Sector Information
Regulations 2005.
Indeed with loss of personal data attracting
fines of up to £500,000, not to mention the additional risk to an
organisation’s reputation, Information Law is something we consider
across all areas of our firm; from litigation, employment,
commercial contracts and corporate services, to intellectual
property, regulatory services and the insurance sector as a
whole.
We offer support and legal advice on:
- The drafting of information sharing
protocols
- Requests for access to personal records
- FOIA requests
- Representations before the First Tier
Tribunal (Information Rights), the appellant body from the
Information Commissioner’s decisions.
Indeed with a growing number of FOIA requests
(up 9% in Q1 2010 from Q1 in 2009) made to public bodies,
including local authorities, central government, NHS and other
health organisations, the FOIA and DPA are increasingly been used
to obtain information as part of pre-action investigations.
Furthermore private sector organisations may
also find their shared documentation and correspondence with public
authority clients (e.g. tender and contract documentation), subject
to such FOIA requests. This is in addition to requests by
employees, clients or complainants under the DPA for access to
personal data.
As such, at Weightmans our professional team
not only helps our clients implement procedures to enable them
respond to such requests in a timely fashion, but can also
step in with expert legal advice, when required, often at
short notice.
With extensive and wide reaching experience
advising on information law in both the public and private sectors,
a fast, reactive service, bespoke and off-the-peg training courses
contact a member of the information
law team to find out how we can help you stay on the right
side of Information Law.