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Private eye

01 August 2013 / Tom Morrison
Issue: 7571 / Categories: Features , Freedom of Information
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Education providers require a lesson in data protection, says Tom Morrison

In the previous edition of this column we looked at how our freedom of information and data protection regime affects social housing providers. The second in this series of sector focused pieces concentrates on the education sector. Academies, other types of schools, colleges and universities (referred to together as education providers for the purposes of this column) are caught directly by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (together FOI legislation). When you add into the mix that the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998) impacts on almost everything education providers do, due to the large number of staff and students with whom they interact, it is fair to say that information law compliance is a big and sometimes resource-hungry issue to get right, but potentially a very damaging and expensive one to get wrong.

The impact of being a public authority for FOI purposes

Many people assume that all public authorities are substantial in size and have more than

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
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