The Code seeks to address key challenges faced by investigators and enable code members to demonstrate compliance with specific areas of data protection law in the provision of investigative and litigation support services.
It aims to provide sector-specific guidance and to increase accountability in handling personal data. As such, by complying with the Code, you are complying with data protection laws in the UK.
The Code includes advice, guidance, and practical examples in relation to:
Investigators and litigation services can voluntarily sign up for the Code and Code membership is managed by an independent ICO approved and UKAS accredited monitoring body. Code members must satisfy the monitoring body with the requirements explained in Appendix I to the Code. Such requirements include:
The Code builds on the existing standards and criteria required for ABI membership however, Code members are not required to be ABI members and Code membership is available to any sector agency that meets the Code member criteria as at Appendix I to the Code, whether affiliated to the ABI or not.
We can assist you with your data protection compliance programme ahead of signing up to the Code. The following checklist describes the compliance steps that we suggest to cover:
If you would like more information, please feel free to reach out to one of our dedicated data protection lawyers, or if you would like keep up to date on the latest in data protection, please subscribe to our newsletter, The Data Download here.
Further details about the Code can be found here.