The Data Protection Act (DPA) demands that organisations who
deal with personal information must register with the Information
Commissioner's Office (ICO). Registration costs £35 per year.
Grier Olubi of Adejobi Solicitors and Robert Bentley of
Bentley's Solicitors were fined £300 each and ordered to pay £500
in costs and a victims' surcharge of £15 by Stratford Magistrates'
Court.
The ICO said that it had told both the lawyers a number of times
that they must register, but that the warnings were ignored.
"We contacted Mr Olubi and Mr Bentley on a number of occasions
to remind them of their duty under the Act, but they consistently
failed to register as data controllers," said Mick Gorrill,
assistant commissioner at the ICO. "This prosecution will serve as
an important reminder to organisations of their obligation to
notify."
"As today's prosecution demonstrates, we stand ready to use our
powers to prosecute the small minority of businesses that flout the
Data Protection Act," said Gorrill. "It is particularly
disappointing that these cases involve solicitors – professionals
entrusted with giving legal advice – not complying with the
law."
