RPC Privacy Law

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ICO fines Midlothian Council £140,000 - ICO's highest ever fine for data breaches

Posted on March 01, 2012 by Louise Turner

The Information Commissioner's Office (the "ICO") has fined Midlothian Council £140,000 for five separate security breaches, which involved accidental disclosure of confidential and sensitive personal data about children and carers to the wrong recipients. The breaches, which took place between Marc... read more

Should Demi Moore's emergency call have been kept private?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Keith Mathieson

When the actress Demi Moore needed emergency medical care at her home in Los Angeles last week, her friend called 911. A partially redacted recording of the call was later released by state officials, prompting media reports around the world. The New York Post reported that Demi Moore wa... read more

Damages for unauthorised access to medical records

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Keith Mathieson

A judge has awarded £12,500 to a man whose pre-existing personality disorder was exacerbated after his partner accessed his medical records and challenged him about his mental illness. The woman obtained unauthorised access while employed as a nurse by Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust and it was ag... read more

Forced sterilisation case heard in public

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Clare Jaycock

On 15 February 2011 Hedley J ordered that a case proceeding in the Court of Protection which featured medical information of the highest sensitivity should be held in open court. The Court of Protection normally hears such cases in private. The case concerned a young woman aged 21 with severe lear... read more

Anonymity of egg and sperm donors

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Clare Jaycock

A survey by Manchester Fertility Services highlights issues of privacy concerning egg and sperm donation. The survey suggests that the public is divided on the issue: 59% of those surveyed believed that anonymity should be preserved, whilst 41% said that children should have the right to find their... read more

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RPC Privacy Law Articles

This blog features regular postings on developments in UK privacy law written by specialist lawyers at RPC. The postings are intended to keep RPC's Privacy Law Handbook (see below) as up-to-date as possible and while postings do refer readers to relevant sections of the book, we hope and intend that the blog will also be a useful source of current information to those without access to the book.