Data Protection Committee
In response to an invitation from the Data Protection Committee, JUSTICE Submitted evidence in the form of a memorandum which argued that the Data Protection Authority promised by the Government in its White Paper (Computers and Privacy, Cmnd. 6353) should have enough "teeth" to enforce standards for computerised information systems, and should therefore have power to license, or to refuse to license, such systems in both the public and the private sectors; that the Authority should be independent and not subject to Ministerial directions; and that its decisions should be subject to appeal on points of law, or of mixed fact and law, to the Divisional Court. We also said that the statutory objectives set out in paragraph 34 of the White Paper should be regarded as minima; that any information (including information previously published) about any identifiable individual, or any body or association, should be "personal information" for the purposes of the statute; and that no special qualified privilege should attach to the publication of information held in a computer system for the purposes of the law of defamation. We also expressed views about medical, social work, personnel, police and national security records. Copies of our memorandum of evidence are available from JUSTICE, price 20p.
Freedom of Information
A committee has been set up, under the chairmanship of Anthony Lincoln Q.C., to consider freedom of access to official information in the United Kingdom and the desirability of extending it. Its other members are: Michael Beloff, David Donaldson, Sir John Foster, Dr. Philip Giddings, Alec Grant, Mrs. Blanche Lucas, Prof. V. W. E. Moore, Sir Robert McEwen, K. G. Robertson, Harry Sales and Ronald Briggs (Secretary).
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OVERSEAS AFFAIRS
During the past year we have endeavoured to increase our activity in overseas affairs, either through formal interventions, or by informal personal visits, or by participation in meetings with other European Sections. We have been considerably helped by a generous grant from the Drapers' Company.
Charter 77
On 2nd February 1977, Sir John Foster wrote to the Czechoslovak Ambassador in London at the request of the Council of JUSTICE expressing concern about reports of the persecution in that country of several people who had signed the manifesto of "Charter 77". In reply, the Ambassador assured Sir John that human rights were fully protected in his country. Sir John then wrote to ask why, in that case, some of these people had been arrested, and what they were to be charged with. No further reply has been received from the Ambassador. On 14th February 1977, The Times published a letter from Sir John reporting this correspondence.
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