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The SLS Privacy Notice

22nd May 2018

On 25th May 2018, the UK implements the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  This requires the SLS to be transparent with you about how it holds your personal data, such as names and addresses; what it does with that data and how long it holds it for.  You will see the new privacy notice below and on the website that outlines our approach.

 

Privacy Notice

What personal data does the Society of Legal Scholars (“the Society”) collect?

The information on members, that we routinely collect, includes members’ names, addresses, relevant qualifications, institutional affiliation, employment history, email addresses and telephone numbers. We collect this contact data directly from our members when they join the Society, and it is updated as and when members inform us of any changes. On occasion, we may also take your photograph at a Society event.

What is this Contact Data used for?

We use this data for the administration of your membership, the communication of information to you and the organisation of events.

Who is your data shared with?

Your contact address (usually the address of your Law school or institution) is shared with the distributors of Legal Studies and The Reporter so the Society may fulfil its obligations in sending you those publications. None of this contact data is shared with any other organisation.

How is your contact data stored?

This data is stored in a range of secured digital formats. Access is by passwords and limited to the Honorary Membership Secretary, the Administrative Secretary and the Treasurer’s Assistant who are responsible for Membership and website only. Data is also available to all members on the website in the Directory of Members which is accessible by password. The Directory of Members does not contain members’ home addresses, just telephone numbers, email addresses, relevant qualifications, work place and former positions, if provided.
Any information that is stored remotely is stored in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Who is responsible for ensuring compliance with the relevant laws and regulations?

Under the GDPR we do not have a statutory requirement to have a Data Protection Officer. The person who is responsible for ensuring that the Society discharges its obligations under the GDPR is the Society’s Honorary Membership Secretary.

Who has access to your data?

The Honorary Membership Secretary, the Administrative Secretary and the Treasurer’s Assistant have access to members’ data in order for them to carry out their legitimate tasks for the Society.

What is the legal basis for collecting this data?

The Society collects personal data that is necessary for the purposes of its legitimate interests as a membership organisation.

How you can check what data we have about you?

If you want to see the basic membership data we hold about you, you should contact the Administrative Secretary (email: admin@legalscholars.ac.uk)  in the first instance or the Society’s Hon. Membership Secretary . (email: membership@legalscholars.ac.uk)
You can contact us with a Subject Access Request if you want to ask us to provide you with any other information we hold about you. If you are interested in any particular aspects, specifying them will help us to provide you with what you need quickly and efficiently. We are required to provide this to you within one month.

Does the Society collect any “special” data?

The GDPR refers to sensitive personal data as “special categories of personal data”. We do not record any such special data.

How can you ask for data to be removed, limited or corrected?

There are various ways in which you can limit how your data is used.
• You may choose to maintain your membership of the Society with your correct name but with limited contact details. However, we do need to have at least one method of contacting you. The failure to provide an email address could hamper the Society’s attempts to inform you of important or urgent information.
• You may choose to have your name and contact details removed from the Directory of Members.
• You may choose not to receive information emails from the Society (we do not send any out on behalf of other organisations).
• You may choose not to receive hard copies of The Reporter and Legal Studies journals.
• Any of these options can be implemented for your Society membership by contacting the Society’s Administrative Secretary or the Hon Treasurer.

How long do we keep your data, and why?

We keep this information for as long as you remain a member of the Society. All your contact data is deleted as soon as you leave the Society and are no longer a member. Historical Funding Award winners, prize lists, former Officers and Committee members etc are required for archiving purposes and names cannot be removed from them.
Other data, such as that relating to accounting or personnel matters, is kept for the legally required period.

Hon Membership Secretary
May 2018