A solicitor employed by the Council mistakenly sent eleven
emails concerning a child protection court case to the wrong email address instead
of sending them to the council’s barrister. These emails contained confidential
and sensitive personal data about the case, including details of non-accidental
injuries to a child and medical information about two adults and two other children.
The main failing, it is reported, was that the emails were
not encrypted, so that whoever received them was able to read the plain text.
Despite the Council having guidelines stating that this type of communication
must be encrypted, apparently no encryption facilities were available to the
solicitor. As a result she was not disciplined.
The Council was fined £120,000.
