From April 2010 the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) may impose fines of up to £500,000 for serious data protection breaches where a breach is deliberate or negligent and likely to cause substantial damage or distress to individuals. Examples of incidents that may give rise to fines under this new power include failing to take adequate security measures such as encrypting personal data, or disclosing inaccurate information in references leading to loss of job offers.

In the light of the recent RSPCA case many charities are considering their approach to contesting legacy challenges. These challenges are often made by family members of the deceased. In the RSPCA case the will of the deceased was overturned. This does not happen often and probably occurred here because of the very particular facts of the case.

We have reported on a number of instances where tenants are becoming entangled in complex litigation because the deal between the tenants and their landlord was not properly documented.