header-logo header-logo

31 March 2021 / Simon Cheetham KC
Issue: 7927 / Categories: Opinion , Education , Data protection , Regulatory
printer mail-detail

Everyone’s Invited… regulators included?

44606
With allegations of abuse & misconduct hitting the headlines, Simon Cheetham QC examines the data protection implications for the schools investigating them

The increasingly popular website Everyone’s Invited (everyonesinvited.uk) contains thousands of ‘testimonies’ by victims of sexual abuse and misconduct, largely—but by no means exclusively—at private schools. The testimonies are described as being anonymised, although many carry the name of the school or, in some cases, the college or university. It has quickly become a primary source of information, and it also has an Instagram account with tens of thousands of followers.

Data only becomes ‘personal data’ when it is information relating to an identifiable individual and, generally speaking, it will not be possible to identify individuals from these testimonies. Nevertheless, that may not always be the case where there is a named school, year group, description of an individual and so on. For instance, one complaint that was then reported in the media referred to the complainant being part of a cohort of 40 girls

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
back-to-top-scroll