1.1 This is the Data Diversity Policy for Rose Court Chambers which is established in accordance with paragraphs 408.2 (k) – (u) of the Bar Standard Board Code. This policy is effective as of January 2021.
1.2 The name of the registered data controller for Rose Court Chambers is Susan Meek and the data controller's registration number on the Data Protection register is ZA863411.
1.3 The name of the Diversity Data Officer is Graeme Wilson
2. Collection of Diversity Data:
2.1 Members of chambers' workforce are to be given the opportunity to provide their Diversity Data for collection in accordance with the requirements set out in the Code of Conduct for the Bar. The Diversity Data Officer shall be responsible for arranging and supervising the collection of Diversity Data.
3. Why Diversity Data is collected:
3.1 Individuals have the opportunity to provide their Diversity Data in order for Rose Court Chambers to publish an anonymous summary of the Diversity Data. This provides transparency concerning recruiting and employment activities and aims to encourage an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession.
3.2 Please note that you are not required to provide your Diversity Data. You are free to choose whether or not you wish to provide all, some or none of your Diversity Data.
4. How Diversity Data is collected:
4.1 Diversity Data will be collected through completing an electronic form and returning it to the Diversity Data Officer by email.
4.2 You will be provided with a copy of the form by email, together with a copy consent form which you must complete if you wish to provide your Diversity Data. You will be notified of the deadline for completing the forms, which will be no less than 7 days from the date of notification.
5. Keeping Diversity Data secure:
5.1 All Diversity Data that is collected from individuals will be kept securely. The Diversity Data Officer shall put the following security measures in place to protect Diversity Data :
5.2 The returned Diversity Data forms will be kept electronically in a password protected folder on her/his computer which is also password protected. The Diversity Data Officer will not disclose the information contained in the forms to any third party without written permission from the person concerned. The electronic files will be deleted following completion of the monitoring exercise.
5.3 Rose Court Chambers will not share Diversity Data with any third parties, save as set out in paragraph 4 above.
5.4 Should you access or disclose Diversity Data accidentally or intentionally when you are not authorised to do so, you must notify the Diversity Data Officer immediately. Failure to do so may amount to misconduct and result in disciplinary proceedings before Rose Court Chambers or the Bar Standards Board.
6. Anonymising Diversity Data
6.1 Rose Court Chambers is required to anonymise Diversity Data before publishing it in summary form. We will securely anonymise Diversity Data manually under the following categories: age, gender, ethnic group, religion or belief, sexual orientation, socio-economic background and caring responsibilities.
7. Publication of the anonymised summary of Diversity Data
7.1 Rose Court Chambers is required to publish Diversity Data in an anonymised summary format within the three (3) month period following the date for collection specified by the Bar Standards Board. The summary will break down the information in a way which categorises each diversity characteristic against job status and role, in a manner which reflects seniority within Chambers. The summary will be published on Chambers’ website.
7.2 Diversity Data relating to sexual orientation and religion or belief will not be included in the anonymised summary format for publication.
7.3 Where there are fewer than 10 (ten) individuals within each published category who identify through the questionnaire with the same diversity characteristic (for example, 4 (four) individuals with a job role at the same level of seniority identify themselves as disabled), Rose Court Chambers shall not publish the anonymous data relating to those individuals and that diversity characteristic unless the individuals concerned have each consented to such publication, in the knowledge that they may be identified against that characteristic.
7.4 Since Rose Court Chambers currently has fewer than 10 (ten) individuals in the workforce in the role of barrister and door tenants, individuals in those roles should be aware that by providing their Diversity Data it may be possible for a third party to identify them even though the Diversity Data is anonymised.
8. Destruction of Diversity Data
8.1 Rose Court Chambers will securely destroy the Diversity Data collected promptly after the Diversity Data has been anonymised and in any event within 3 (three) months following the date for collection specified by the Bar Standards Board (usually the date you receive notification under paragraph (5) above). Secure destruction means that as far as possible we shall not hold the Diversity Data in any way where it is possible to identify an individual. In practice secure destruction will be achieved by deleting the computerised questionnaires.
8.2 Anonymised data will be kept for 12 months before being destroyed as above.
9. Questions or complaints
9.1 Individuals have a right to withdraw their consent or object to the use of their Diversity Data at any time.
9.2 Where your data has already been provided and you wish to withdraw your consent to its use, please notify the Diversity Data Officer in writing. S/he will promptly to delete or destroy any Diversity Data which includes your personal data and will confirm to you that this step has been taken within 21 days of receiving notification from you.
9.3 Where the anonymised data has been published in summary form, the Diversity Data Officer will not extract your personal data from the published summary unless you have reason to believe that continued publication of the anonymised data is causing or is likely to cause you or someone else substantial damage or distress. In such circumstances, the Diversity Data Officer will consider the reasons you have put forward and shall respond within 21 days from the date you notify them of your belief to let you know whether s/he has determined that the continued publication of the data is justified and, if not, to confirm the action taken to extract your data from the published summary and to delete or destroy any copies.
Should you have any questions or complaints about this Diversity Data Policy, please contact the Diversity Data Officer gwilson@rosecourtchambers.com
Annex A: Notification and Consent Form for Diversity Data
Rose Court Chambers is required by the Bar Standards Board to give you the opportunity to submit diversity data so that, as further described below and in the Diversity Data Policy, such data may be published in anonymised summary form. This requirement is in order to provide transparency concerning recruitment and employment activities and aims to encourage an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession. Your diversity data will be processed by the Diversity Data Officer (and by other parties under their direction) in order to fulfil the requirements, set down by the Bar Standards Board.
Diversity data is considered to be information relating to the following characteristics: age, gender, disability, ethnic group, religion or belief, sexual orientation, socio-economic background and caring responsibilities. You may submit this diversity data through the questionnaire attached. You are under no obligation to provide diversity data and if you submit diversity data, you do so voluntarily.
Please read this notification before you consent to the submission of your diversity data.
Apart from data relating to religion or belief and sexual orientation, which will not be published unless there is consent from all members of the workforce, any diversity data that you submit will be processed for the purposes of publishing an anonymous summary on www.rosecourtchambers.com. Diversity data you submit relating to religion or belief and sexual orientation will be anonymised and held by Rose Court Chambers for 12 months but not published. The anonymous summary will categorise each diversity characteristic against job status and role, in a manner which reflects seniority within Rose Court Chambers.
Please tick this box to confirm that you explicitly consent to providing the data and the processing of your diversity data as described in this notice and consent form [ ].
If there are fewer than 10 individuals in chambers/a category/job role), it may be possible for a third party to identify individuals when anonymous data is published.
If you explicitly consent to the publication of your diversity data in anonymous form even if there are fewer than 10 individuals identified against one or more of the characteristics, please tick this box to confirm this [ ]. You are under no obligation to give this consent.
If you would like further information about the collection and use of diversity data, please refer to our Diversity Data Policy available here. You have a right to object to the use of your diversity data at any time, or withdraw your consent to its use, by contacting the Diversity Data Officer at gwilson@rosecourtchambers.com
