Privacy and Security Notice

At WSC Medicolegal we are committed to protecting your privacy to the highest standards.

WSC Medicolegal provides expert witness services.  This privacy notice provides information about the personal information we process about you in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Please contact Sue Stevens at admin@wscmedicolegal.co.uk with any questions or requests about the personal information we process.

WSC Medicolegal reserves the right to make changes to its website at its discretion and may change this policy as and when necessary to ensure it reflects current legal requirements.

When you continue to use our website you agree to be bound by these Terms.

 

Cookie Policy

Cookies are small files which store information on your hard drive or browser.  When you agree to accept cookies, this allows us to collect data in order to analyse traffic on our website, thereby providing valuable information needed to improve and tailor the website.  The data gathered is used only for statistical analysis and is then removed from the system.

Essentially, cookies assist us to monitor website usage, they do not allow us to access your computer or any of your personal details other than the information you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies by adjusting the settings in your browser.  See www.allaboutcookies.org for useful information.

Our website contains links to other websites/social media that may be of interest to you, however if you use these links you will leave our site.  Please be aware we have no control over other websites or social media platforms and cannot be held responsible for any information you provide once you have left our website.

 

Your rights

We are committed to protecting your rights to privacy. They include:

• Right to be informed about what we do with your personal data;
• Right to have a copy of all the personal information we process about you;
• Right to rectification of any inaccurate data we process, and to add to the information we hold about you if it is incomplete;
• Right to be forgotten and your personal data destroyed;
• Right to restrict the processing of your personal data;
• Right to object to the processing we carry out based on our legitimate interest.

 

The personal data we process, why we process it, where it comes from and the legal basis for doing so

Legal cases

We process the personal data of individuals who are obtaining legal advice or are engaged in a legal dispute, and also the personal data of witnesses and others with links to the issues in the case.

The personal data may include:

• Names, contact details and dates of birth;
• Financial information;
• Health information;
• Information about race, ethnic origin and sex;

The personal data is generally provided by the person instructing us in relation to the legal issues, who is usually a solicitor.

We process the data because it is in our legitimate interests as an expert witness to do so.  We need to see and analyse documents containing this information in order to provide our expert advice.

In relation to any special category personal data, such as health records or information concerning race, ethnic origin, or sex, we rely on the legal claims basis for processing this data, in addition to our legitimate interest.

In many cases, an individual has consented to the transfer of their personal data to us.  Where an individual has consented, he or she may easily withdraw it by notifying Sue Stevens at admin@wscmedicolegal.co.uk as above.

 

Other personal data

We also process personal data pursuant to our legitimate interests in running our business such as:

• Invoices and receipts;

All our Consultants and Associates are self-employed, therefore we do not directly employ any member of staff.  We do however hold personal data of the Consultants and Associates in order to provide a seamless service to our clients.

 

This information includes:

• Names, addresses and contact details;
• Curriculum vitae

Our Consultants have undertaken the Bond Solon GDPR for Expert Witnesses course.  Additionally, all individuals connected to WSC Medicolegal have completed and signed a Due Diligence questionnaire to ensure GDPR compliance and minimise risk.

 

Retention period

Personal data in legal cases is retained, where necessary, for six years in compliance with our professional indemnity obligations.  Where this is not necessary, it is destroyed on the conclusion of the case.

Administrative data is retained for up to six years as necessary, in the unlikely event there are queries from HMRC and the VAT commissioner.  Where it is not necessary to retain the data for six years, it is destroyed as soon as possible.

 

Whom do we share personal data with?

We share personal data internally strictly on a need to know basis.

Special category data and personnel files held electronically are encrypted with restricted access.  Hard copy special category and other personal data is stored securely with restricted access.

We do not share personal data with anyone external to the organisation, other than with:

Those who have instructed us as an expert witness

With others pursuant to a court order

 

Information Commissioner’s Office

If you have any concerns about the way your personal information has been processed, please contact Sue Stevens as above. Alternatively, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office on 0303 123 1113.