Liability 'no longer an issue' in claims over major PSNI data breach, High Court hears

Liability is “no longer an issue” in claims by thousands of officers and civilian staff over a major PSNI data breach, the High Court heard today.

A mediation process will now to be carried out in a bid to agree on the potential level of damages for the group action.

In August last year personal information on all serving police officers and support workers was mistakenly published in response to a Freedom of Information request.

Details released included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, and the department in which they work. Home addresses were not revealed.

Within days of the leak it was confirmed that dissident republicans had accessed the information.

It has been reported that the data breach could cost the PSNI £240million in security and compensation payouts.

Up to 7,000 officers and civilian workers are suing the force, with a group litigation order made and test cases identified as part of efforts to manage the scale of lawsuits.

The plaintiffs have brought claims for negligence and breaches of data protection and privacy.

In court today, counsel for the PSNI, Nicolas Hanna KC, disclosed: “Liability is no longer an issue, it’s (now) a matter of causation and damages.”

Mr Justice Colton was told both sides are set to begin mediation aimed at streamlining the remaining issues.

That process will involve trying to identify a level of damages to put to the plaintiffs as a “universal offer”.

“Nobody would be bound to take it, but if the issues are properly explored in mediation it offers the best prospect of finding a figure (to recommend),” Mr Hanna said.

“The objective is to try to get as many cases resolved as soon as possible, leaving a core which would require more attention.”

Three legal firms have been appointed as management solicitors representing more than 6,000 of the police officers and staff taking the lawsuits.

Their barristers, David Dunlop KC and Peter Girvan, confirmed agreement to the proposed mediation.

Adjourning the cases until December, Mr Justice Colton said: “It seems sensible to allow that to proceed.”

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