Law body calls for 'privacy rights centre'

Published on 21 May 2010 under category: legal

A 'privacy rights centre' should be created to protect UK citizens against excessive surveillance, according to one law trade body.

Law Society made the proposal yesterday (May 20th).

Robert Heslett, president of the Society, said that the initiative would back up the new coalition government's desire to reverse apparent inroads made into privacy in the past ten years.

"We are calling on the new government to abandon mechanisms which reduce civil liberties and to focus on their duty to keep the private information it gathers safe."

The centre, which aims to be in operation by August, would provide legal expertise on privacy and civil liberties matters.

According to the two establishing bodies, Law Society and Privacy International, the organisation is needed in order to arrest what it describes as a "dismantling of privacy rights".

It plans to also address issues of privacy and data protection in court.