Information Commissioner gets broader enforcement powers as Coroners and Justice Bill receives Royal Assent…

The Information Commissioner’s Office – the body in charge of enforcing UK data protection laws – has been given greater enforcement powers, as the Coroners and Justice Bill has been passed. The new law gives the ICO a right to serve public authorities with assessment notices to enable them to establish whether they are complying with data protection laws. The law also gives the ICO broader powers to require people on premises to provide explanations of material found on those premises. One controversial provision in the original Bill – to allow the Government much wider data-sharing powers – was withdrawn before the Bill became law. The ICO would like to see the greater powers extended to its role in enforcing data protection laws against private sector organisations.