Order-making powers in Clause 152 of the Bill would allow people’s personal information to be shared between government departments, individuals or private companies without their consent.
Isabella Sankey, Director of Policy at Liberty, said:
“The black-listing scandal shows how closely people's privacy relates to their freedom of conscience, association and protection from discrimination. If Clause 152 of the Government’s Coroners and Justice Bill passes, future Ministers could order enormously broad information-sharing, meaning that black-listing databases could become routine."
The powers are widely drawn and the only limit on the type of information capable of being shared – and the people or companies it can be shared with – is that it needs to further a Government policy purpose.
Contact Mairi Clare Rodgers on 020 7378 3656 or 07973 831128
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. More information about the Information Commissioner’s investigation into black-listing databases within the construction industry can be found
here (PDF) 2. Liberty’s briefing on the Coroners and Justice Bill can be found
here (PDF) 
