DSG Retail Limited v The Information Commissioner
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Judge | Judges H Williams,S Wright,H Stout |
| Neutral Citation | [2024] UKUT 287 (AAC) |
| Published date | 08 October 2024 |
| Court | Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) |
IN THE UPPER TRIBUNAL UT Ref: UA-2022-001380-GIA
ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS CHAMBER NCN [2024] UKUT 287 (AAC)
Appellant: DSG Retail Limited
Respondent:The Information Commissioner
DECISION OF THE UPPER TRIBUNAL
THE HON. MRS JUSTICE HEATHER WILLIAMS DBE
UPPER TRIBUNAL JUDGE WRIGHT
UPPER TRIBUNAL JUDGE STOUT
Decision date: 23 September 2024
ON APPEAL FROM:
Tribunal:First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber)
Tribunal Case No: EA/2020/0048
Tribunal Venue: Field House, London
Hearing Dates: 15-23 November 2021
Decision date: 5 July 2022
DSG Retail Limited -v- Information Commissioner [2024] UKUT 287 (AAC)
UT Case ref: UA-2022-001380-GIA
1
IN THE UPPER TRIBUNAL UA-2022-001380-GIA
ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS CHAMBER NCN [2024] UKUT 287 (AAC)
On appeal from the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber)
Between:
DSG Retail Limited Appellant
– v –
The Information Commissioner Respondent
Before: The Hon. Mrs Justice Heather Williams DBE
Upper Tribunal Judge Wright
Upper Tribunal Judge Stout
Decision date: 23 September 2024
Decided after a hearing on: 11 and 12 June 2024
Representation:
Appellant: Mr Timothy Pitt-Payne KC and Mr Rupert Paines of counsel,
instructed by Pinsent Masons.
Respondent: Mr Peter Lockley of counsel, instructed by the Information
Commissioner
DECISION
The decision of the Upper Tribunal is to allow the appeal by DSG Retail Limited.
As a consequence of our decision, and pursuant to section 12(2)(a) and
12(2)(b)(i) of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, we set aside the
words “and is substituted by this Decision" in paragraph 1and the wholeof
paragraph 2 of the First-tier Tribunal’s decisionin EA/2020/0048, dated 5 July
2022. We remit the appeal to be redecided by an entirely freshly constituted
First-tier Tribunal in accordance with the law in this decision and on the basis of
the uncontested matters as set out in this decision.
REASONS FOR DECISION
Introduction
1.This appeal concerns the lawful basis for the Information Commissioner (“ICO”)
imposing a monetary penalty notice (“MPN”) on a data controller under section
55A of the Data Protection Act 1998 (“DPA 1998”). A key issue on the appeal is
the correct construction of the phrase “personal data” as it appears within the
seventh data protection principle in Schedule 1 of the DPA 1998 (“DPP7”), which
DSG Retail Limited -v- Information Commissioner [2024] UKUT 287 (AAC)
UT Case ref: UA-2022-001380-GIA
2
is concerned with data security. A three-judge panel of the Upper Tribunal was
convened to hear the appeal because this issue of construction raises a question
of law of special difficulty.
2.The structure of this decision is as follows:-
A summary of the relevant background .......................................................... 3
The ICO’s MPN.................................................................................................. 3
The FTT’s decision............................................................................................ 5
Personal data ............................................................................................. 7
The contravention of DPP7 .......................................................................10
Seriousness of the contravention ..............................................................12
Substantial damage and distress and knowledge ......................................12
The substituted MPN .................................................................................13
The issues on this appeal ................................................................................13
The grant of permission to appeal ..................................................................14
The legal framework .........................................................................................16
The Upper Tribunal’s approach on appeal................................................16
Scope of grants of permission ...................................................................17
Relevant provisions of the DPA 1998 ........................................................17
Relevant case law and guidance on the meaning of “personal data”.........20
Security of processing ...............................................................................30
Issue 1: the EMV Data Issue: the parties’ submissions.................................32
The appellant’s submissions.....................................................................32
The respondent’s submissions..................................................................33
Issue 1: the EMV Data Issue: discussion and conclusions ...........................34
The statutory provisions ............................................................................35
The case law .............................................................................................38
The FTT’s reasoning and the FTT’s error..................................................39
Issue 2: the Consistency Issue: the parties’ submissions............................40
The appellant’s submissions.....................................................................40
The respondent’s submissions..................................................................41
Issue 2: the Consistency Issue: discussion and conclusions ......................41
Scope of the grant of permission ...............................................................42
The FTT’s errors.......................................................................................42
Issue 3: the Procedural Fairness Issue ..........................................................43
Issue 4: the Implications Issue: the parties’ submissions............................44
The appellant’s submissions.....................................................................44
The respondent’s submissions..................................................................44
Issue 4: the Implications Issue: discussion and conclusions ......................44
Issue 5: the Seriousness Issue: the parties’ submissions............................45
The appellant’s submissions.....................................................................45
The respondent’s submissions..................................................................46
Issue 5: the Seriousness Issue: discussion and conclusions ......................46
The outcome .....................................................................................................48
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