Background
Mr Matthew McConville, Head of Irvings Law’s specialist Actions Against the Police and Data Breach Department, has successfully represented a client in a claim for compensation against the Metropolitan Police. Due to confidentiality, the client will be referred to as Mr R.
Mr R was an acting senior officer within the Metropolitan Police when he was asked whether he was covering a shift. In response to this, Mr R explained why he was unable to do so citing medical issues and prescriptions. Upon receipt of this email and without any consent, the person whom received the same forwarded it to another colleague thus making them aware of Mr R’s confidential medical information. Mr R then raised concerns about such a disclosure to the Metropolitan Police’s Professional Standards Department describing them as a data breach and in response, confirmed that a mistake had been made which will be learned from. Further to this acceptance, Mr R also received an email from the ICO whom confirmed that there had been an incompliance with obligations under data protection law in this instance.
Representation
After this, Mr R approached specialist Actions Against the Police & Data Breach Solicitors, Irvings Law, for assistance. Mr McConville immediately acknowledged that what happened was completely wrong and without hesitation, offered to act for Mr R by way of “no win, no fee” presenting a claim to the Metropolitan Police on the basis that Mr R’s human rights to privacy were breached as well as GDPR and his confidence following this misuse of private information.
Resolution
Strangely, the Metropolitan Police did not wish to resolve Mr R’s claim without Court proceedings so Mr McConville advised Mr R to do exactly that which he followed. After doing this, the Metropolitan Police failed to serve a Defence that met the criteria of the civil rules and so Mr McConville invited them to now settle the matter which they accepted. As such, Mr R’s claim settled for a sum just in excess of £17,500.00 including the payment of his legal costs.
