Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Group 8 includes amendments Nos. 48 and 107 to 110, inclusive. They are court related amendments. These amendments are concerned with the application of data protection safeguards and rules by courts when acting in their judicial capacity. Section 155 deals with the processing of personal data, where the controller is a court acting in a judicial capacity. Amendment No. 107 amends subsection (2) of section 155 while amendment No. 108 converts subsections (3) to (5) of that section into a more detailed, separate, stand-alone section. Consequently, amendment No. 48 deletes the reference to judicial independence and court proceedings in section 57(3) which is no longer required.

Amendment No. 109 inserts a new section into the Bill which provides for the making of court rules by the rules committee for the superior courts, the Circuit Court and the District Court in respect of personal data contained in court records. Such rules may also provide for the processing of personal data and the disclosure of personal data to facilitate fair and accurate reporting of court proceedings. Amendment No. 110 replaces section 156, which is an expanded text which incorporates a legal basis for the publication of a list or schedule of court proceedings or hearings in court proceedings.