Glossary
Act
Law, as an Act of Parliament; a statute passed by both Houses of Parliament and ratified by royal assent.
Advocate
A person representing a party in a hearing before the Tribunal, e.g. a barrister
(Counsel), or a solicitor, or a lay representative.
Appellant
A person who appeals, either by having a right of appeal, or by being granted permission to appeal.
Data controller
A person who determines the purposes for which, and the manner in which, personal information is to be processed. This may be an individual or an organisation and the processing may be carried out jointly or in common with other persons.
Data subject
This is the living individual who is the subject of the personal information (data).
Decision
Written judgement of a case.
Enforcement notice
The Information Commissioner has the power to serve an enforcement notice if he is satisfied that a data controller has contravened or is contravening the data protection principles. The notice must set out the steps that the data controller must take to comply with the relevant requirements of the Act. The notice may be appealed to the Information Tribunal which may confirm, amend or overturn it. However, in the absence of an appeal, if the data controller fails to comply with a notice, a criminal offence is committed.
High Court
Deals with higher level civil disputes in England and Wales.
Information notice
An information notice is a written notice from the Information Commissioner to a data controller or a public authority seeking information that the Commissioner needs to carry out his functions. Failure to comply with an information notice is an offence.
Legal precedents
Judicial decisions which are reported and lay down principles of law affecting future cases of a similar nature.
Preliminary Issue
An issue ordered to be heard by the Tribunal in advance of the main issue because it is considered to have a material bearing on the outcome of the case.
Reply
A respondent's statement submitted under the Tribunal's rules in reply to an appellant's Statement of Case.
Respondent
A person who submits a notice of intention to respond to an appeal, or who responds to other forms of proceedings.
Statement of Case
A statement submitted under the Tribunal's rules setting out the basis of an appellant's case.
Statutory Instrument
A document issued by the delegated authority (usually a Government Minister or committee) named within an Act of Parliament which affects the working of the original Act.
Statutory powers
Legal powers derived from statutes, i.e. Acts of Parliament
