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PRIVACY AND COMPLAINTS POLICIES
INTRODUCTION
Privacy is important to me and I am committed to protecting personal information from unauthorised use or disclosure. I am required to comply with the law governing the management and storage of personal data as set out in the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR) and your personal data is protected by security measures which ensure that your data is secure and cannot be used or accessed unlawfully.
This Privacy Notice is regularly reviewed great care will be taken of any information that you provide, and this Privacy Notice sets out how any personal information you provide is treated. I will never sell personal information or share personal information or data with third parties unrelated to the services we provide unless required to do so by law or you have given your consent to do this.
If you have any questions or complaints regarding how I use your information or you wish to exercise any of your rights set out in the YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS section of this Privacy Notice, please contact me.
WHAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED AND HOW IS IT USED
Most of the information collected will be provided to me directly by your solicitors but on occasion I may receive information directly from third parties (for example the Crown Prosecution Service) and I will have access to the details of your case via the Crown Court Digital Case Management System.
Please note that I do not collect any information about you via this website which is for information purposes only.
The following information may be collected:
Your name and contact details, including your email address and telephone number(s).
All details relevant to your case where you instruct me to represent you.
To communicate with you about operational changes e.g. changes to my website or to this Privacy Notice;
To enable me to assess the matter and for me to represent and advise you or, as applicable, your solicitor or representative acting on your behalf;
WHO MAY SHARE THE INFORMATION AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES?
I will only use your data (and personal sensitive data) in accordance with the GDPR and only for lawful and proper reasons. Your data will be used to:
Provide legal services
Comply with professional, legal and regulatory obligations
Update client records
Your information may be shared with solicitors firms with involvement in your case, regulatory bodies (such as the Bar Standards Board), courts and judges, the Legal Aid Authority (for the purpose of the submission of my bills)
HOW LONG IS YOUR DATA STORED?
Your data will be retained after your case has concluded in order to allow me to respond to any questions or complaints made by you and to keep records as required by law and the Bar Standards Board . Your data will not be retained for longer than necessary and will be deleted as soon as retention is no longer required. The Bar Council recommends that notes and case information should be retained for a period of up to ten years.
WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS?
The GDPR sets out your rights relating to any personal data held about you. These rights include:
Right to access your data (on request)
Right to erasure of data (subject to legal and regulatory requirements)
The right to be informed about the retention of data (upon request)
The right to correct any stored data
The right to object
In the unlikely event of a data breach, I will notify you and any applicable regulator (for example the Information Commissioner’s Office) where legally required to do so.
If you have any queries about these and other rights, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) publishes guidance and can be contacted directly through either their website or by telephone. Any complaints or concerns can be raised with the Information Commissioner at www.ico.org.uk/concerns or on telephone number 0303 123 1113.
If you want to exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data, please contact me directly via the Contact section of this website. Please note that I may require additional proof of identity in order to process your request.
I will respond to respond to all legitimate requests concerning your data within 28 days of the request.
COMPLAINTS
My aim is to provide an excellent service at all times. However if you
have a complaint, please let me know as soon as possible. Please contact me via the contact form in the Contact section of this website or contact the solicitor who is dealing with your case.
Once a complaint is received it will be logged and I will contact you to obtain details about the complaint you wish to make. I will write to you within 7 days to notify you about the investigation of your complaint and the timeframe for the complaints process. I will investigate your complaint and inform you in writing about the outcome of the complaint either directly or via the solicitor who has conduct of your case. I will also involve the Bar Standards Board and the Bar Council if appropriate.
If you do not want to contact me directly or are not satisfied with the outcome of my investigation, you can ask for independent assessment or can make contact with the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman is not able to consider your complaint until it has first been
investigated by me.
You can write to them at:
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ
Telephone number: 0300 555 0333 Email:
enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Bar Standards Board:
Bar Standards Board Professional Conduct Department 289-293 High
Holborn London WC1V 7JZ
Telephone number: 0207 6111 444 Website :