Not "punitive enough!"  

While not wishing to extrapolate too much from merely a newspaper report there is no suggestion that any real or actual damage was done to the individuals because "there was no suggestion she passed on the information to anyone."

Had she further diclosed the data or subsequently dealt with it improperly no doubt the magistrates would have imposed a higher penalty and been subject to appropriate further charges.  Had she done anything which caused damage or distress to those whose records she had unlawfully accessed then they would be able to use the Act to seek redress in the civil courts.

The fines and costs seem reasonable enough for what she has done; she has been publicly shamed in the press and local community; she is now subject to disciplinary proceedings and may well lose her job with all of the possible implications.

I would have thought she's well and truly learned her lesson for some moments of "foolishness and boredom."

Laurence

Laurence W. Bebbington
Law Librarian
Information Services
The University of Nottingham
Nottingham
NG7 2RD


>>> Jo Archer <[log in to unmask]> 09/07/04 13:57:45 >>>
In my opinion, this wasn't punitive enough! This was SENSITIVE personal
information. This woman was able to violate the privacy of people she knew,
who presumeably she'll meet in the street - not strangers. I don't think
£100 adequately reflects the damage done. At the very least I hope she has
lost her friends.

Jo

----- Original Message -----
From: Carter, Antoinette (CCM) <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 11:29 AM
Subject: [data-protection] Fingers caught in the till.....


Apparently, a computer operator from Gwent was caught with her fingers
in the Police National Computer, checking on her "pals" - for details
refer to this link:

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/page.cfm?objectid=1439 
7197&method=full&siteid=50082

Antoinette Carter
Data Protection Officer
Tel: 0207 389 4970


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
       All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
      available to the world wide web community at large at
      http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html 
      If you wish to leave this list please send the command
       leave data-protection to [log in to unmask] 
            All user commands can be found at : -
        http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm 
  (all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
       All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
      available to the world wide web community at large at
      http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html 
      If you wish to leave this list please send the command
       leave data-protection to [log in to unmask] 
            All user commands can be found at : -
        http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm 
  (all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


This message has been scanned but we cannot guarantee that it and any
attachments are free from viruses or other damaging content: you are
advised to perform your own checks.  Email communications with the
University of Nottingham may be monitored as permitted by UK legislation.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
       All archives of messages are stored permanently and are
      available to the world wide web community at large at
      http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/data-protection.html
      If you wish to leave this list please send the command
       leave data-protection to [log in to unmask]
            All user commands can be found at : -
        http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/commandref.htm
  (all commands go to [log in to unmask] not the list please)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^