RIPA Debate

[Ian G Batten]

On Thu, 13 Mar 2003, John R T Brazier wrote:

> 
> 
> Watkin Simon (aka Simon Watkin) wrote:
> 
> > You can exercise you rights under the Data Protection Act to establish
> 
> > who keeps what on you.  You can ask those who provide services to 
> > you, what they keep and for how long.  If they were ahead of the 
> > game they might tell you without having to be asked.
> 
> Really? So if I phone MI5 (020 7930 9000) and ask for all my files under
> the DPA, they'll cheerfully cough up? And whilst I'm sure I'm much to
> dull to have such a file, how would I ever know?

The NHS can refuse you such access too, if (in their judgement) it
wouldn't be good for you to learn about yourself.  You have no right of
appeal apart from demanding judicial review.  There's a case winding
through in London about this very topic, about a woman (from memory, a
nurse working in one of the London teaching hospitals, but I could be
wrong) who believes that her condition has been characterised as
hysterical and delusional in her records, and has now been denied the
right to see her own records.

ian