‘Independent report reveals new details of how prison officers listened in to telephone calls between MPs and prisoners from their constituencies.’
Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘A picture tweeted by a police helicopter team showing comedian Michael McIntyre standing in a London street is being investigated by the Information Commissioner’s Office for a possible breach of data protection laws.’
The Guardian, 15th July 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Former celebrity publicist Max Clifford has failed to block a damages claim brought against him by ex-royal butler Paul Burrell at London’s High Court.’
BBC News, 14th July 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Privacy campaigners have secured significant concessions in a key report into surveillance by the British security agencies published on Tuesday. The 132-page report, A Democratic Licence To Operate, which Nick Clegg commissioned last year in the wake of revelations by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden, acknowledges the importance of privacy concerns.’
The Guardian, 14th July 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Tom Wilson, pupil barrister at 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers, examines the arguments in favour of greater transparency in the family justice system but sounds a note of caution.’
Family Law Week, 9th July 2015
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
‘Following a period of considered reflection, or laziness depending on one’s view, it is worth noting the decision of the Supreme Court in In the matter of an application by JR38 for Judicial Review [2015] UKSC 42. The case is all about Article 8 ECHR, and is of particular interest because of the dispute about the breadth of the correct test for the engagement of Article 8. The context is also one which will be familiar to English data protection and privacy lawyers: the publication by the police of photographs seeking to identify a suspect. If anyone remembers that famous picture of a youth in a hoodie pointing his fingers like a gun behind an awkward looking David Cameron, JR38 is basically that, but with Molotov cocktails and a sprinkling of sectarian hatred.’
Panopticon, 9th July 2015
Source: www.panopticonblog.com
‘Charities sharing personal data without proper consent could be breaking the law, warns Information Commissioner.’
Daily Telegraph, 7th July 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
An Englishman’s home is his castle, so the old saying goes, and it might be thought that the implication is that the English place a special importance on privacy. The reverse, however, seems to be the case, when the law is considered – for much of the law that provides protection for our privacy, particularly in relation to surveillance, does not originate in the UK but in Europe. With the perfect storm of possible ‘Brexit’ and the potential repeal of the Human Rights Act (HRA), that might leave our privacy in an even more precarious state than it currently is. The so-called ‘British Bill of Rights’ has yet to see the light of day: one of the key questions could be what provision it makes for privacy, particularly in relation to the internet and other forms of communications.
Full story
UK Constitutional Law Association, 18th June 2015
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘British legal history has long inspired the common law world. The Magna Carta, an 800-year-old agreement between a King and his barons, remains an icon of liberty, seen around the world as the foundation stone of the rule of law. In contrast, British law on online surveillance and privacy has been arcane and obscure – a field that is for reluctant experts if it is for anyone at all.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 13th June 2015
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘The government intends wholesale reform, but will it perpetuate a dark history of invasion of privacy or follow the US example, and end invasive surveillance?’
The Guardian, 5th June 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘A legal challenge fronted by two UK MPs against communications surveillance laws passed last year has reached the High Court.’
OUT-LAW.com, 4th June 2015
Source: www.out-law.com
‘An American YouTube star who claims her British ex-boyfriend posted a secret video of them having sex online is launching complex legal bid for damages and criminal prosecution in the UK courts.’
The Independent, 4th June 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Gulati v MGN Ltd [2015] EWHC 1482 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 232
‘Damages for infringement of privacy rights should compensate not merely for distress but also, if appropriate, for a loss of privacy or autonomy arising out of the infringement as such, which might include, if appropriate, a sum to compensate for damage to dignity or standing so far as that was meaningful and not already compensated under the distress element.’
WLR Daily, 21st May 2015
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Regina (AB) v Chief Constable of Hampshire Constabulary [2015] EWHC 1238 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 225
‘While the disclosure by police of non-conviction material to a third party involved an interference with a person’s right to respect for his private and family life, within the meaning of article 8 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the common law empowered the police to disclose relevant information to relevant parties, where it was necessary for police purposes such as the public protection. Moreover, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the relevant statutory and administrative codes, provided a sufficiently clear, accessible and consistent set of rules, so as to prevent arbitrary or abusive interference with an individual’s article 8 rights; such that the disclosure would be in accordance with law.’
WLR Daily, 20th May 2015
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
‘High-profile revelations in recent years illustrate the importance of public authorities sharing information on individuals who are of concern in relation to child protection matters. When inaccurate information is shared, however, the consequences for the individual can be calamitous.’
Panopticon, 1st June 2015
Source: www.panopticonblog.com
‘Police officers in the UK ask for permission to monitor use of emails, text messages and internet searches once every two minutes, a new report has disclosed.’
The Independent, 1st June 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Ministers are facing calls to curb the scale of police access to private phone and email records, after a report by privacy campaigners found officers were making a request every two minutes and getting access in 93% of cases.’
The Guardian, 1st June 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘In its recent report, Privacy and Security: A modern and transparent legal framework, the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee pondered on the scale of public concern about digital surveillance:
“It is worth noting that this debate does not seem to arise in the context of the Agencies intercepting letters, or listening to people’s home or office landline calls. So what is it about the internet that makes it different? For many, the free and open nature of the internet represents liberty and democracy, and they consider that these values should not be compromised for the sake of detecting a minority who wish to use it for harmful purposes.”’
OUP Blog, 28th May 2015
Source: http://blog.oup.com
‘Prosecutors are examining allegations that police improperly monitored the sister of a former paratrooper who died on the floor of a police station.’
The Guardian, 26th May 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
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