"a strong client base attracted to the set by its competitive fees." (Chambers and Partners)
The jurisprudence on Information Law is growing all the time, as the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 require greater transparency as to information and decision-making by public bodies, and impose often significant obligations on them in responding to information requests, and in record-keeping and the management of information. At the same time, the importance of data protection requirements has increasingly been recognised, in the wake of well-publicised losses of personal data by public authorities, the introduction of monetary penalties for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998, and the increased need for data sharing as public bodies move to joint working and common provision of services. The requirements of these regimes can often seem to be in conflict, and the complexity of the exemptions applicable in some cases, and the speed of the law’s evolution in this area, call for specialist advice or representation - informed by an understanding of the wider framework within which local authorities operate - which Cornerstone Barristers can provide.