Hi All, This is my first post, and I wanted to share something I’ve recently become aware of that may be relevant to some forum members. The 'Open Court Data' website publishes information relating to UK court hearings, including information about charges, trials and sentences. I don’t believe it complies with UK data protection laws, and I understand that the Ministry of Justice are aware of it and investigating, albeit too slowly in my opinion. I’m sharing this because I felt some parents, guardians and carers may want to be aware of it and decide for themselves whether they want to find out more. If you would like to become involved in getting this site removed then you may wish to use the links below to do so. We also intend to speak to our local MP in the next week. If more people choose to do the same, it may help to highlight the issue and encourage it to be considered. - https://opencourtdata.uk/privacy/request/
- Complain to the ICO - 30 days after no.2
- thirdpartydatalicence@justice.gov.uk
- Find your local MP
You may wish to use this standard request for no.3: Dear Ministry of Justice, I am writing to express serious concerns about the website OpenCourtData.uk, which publishes identifiable court records online, making them searchable through Google and other search engines. I understand that the Ministry of Justice has already confirmed that it does not authorise this website's use of its court data. Despite this, the website continues to publish such information. I am concerned about whether this activity complies with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, particularly regarding lawful processing, proportionality, data retention and individuals' rights to privacy. Publishing court records in this way can cause significant and lasting reputational, personal and employment-related harm. - Investigate the website's continued use and publication of court data without MOJ authorisation.
- Clarify what action is being taken to prevent unauthorised use of its information.
- Consider referring the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for investigation.
Open justice should not mean unrestricted, permanent and searchable publication of individuals' personal information by private websites.
I would appreciate a response explaining what action the Ministry of Justice intends to take. Yours faithfully, [Your name] NB please message me if you know more or can help, etc. |