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The New Data Protection Complaints Regime

The New Data Protection Complaints Regime

From this Friday, 19 June 2026, organisations can no longer rely on complaints going straight to the ICO. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 introduces a new regime requiring them to receive, investigate and resolve data protection complaints themselves. Maggie Burns and Charlotte Smith explain what you need to know.

June 23, 2026

The New Data Protection Complaints Regime

News

ICO presses social care leaders on care records standards as enforcement action mounts

June 25, 2026

Met Police to roll out permanent static facial recognition cameras across London's West End

June 24, 2026

ICO finds exceptional grounds to shield councillor's council tax arrears from disclosure

June 22, 2026

Information Commissioner John Edwards resigns with immediate effect after workplace investigation finds "case to answer"

Jun 19, 2026

Investigation finds no evidence of “widespread, routine or systematic” monitoring by council staff of social media accounts of parents and carers of children with SEN

Jun 17, 2026

New statutory complaints duty comes into effect this week

Jun 15, 2026

Information Commissioner suspended following workplace investigation

Jun 10, 2026

Legal sector chosen as first participant in Government AI ‘sandbox’ programme

Jun 09, 2026

Vendor lock-in on public sector data is an "unacceptable point of weakness": MPs

Jun 08, 2026

University first to be fined for contempt of court in FOI request dispute

Jun 03, 2026

ICO sets out plans for statutory AI code of practice and procurement guidance

Jun 01, 2026

Thinktank urges Government to close regulatory gap on “unreliable” AI services during elections

May 26, 2026

Report on government transparency releases suggests “enormous room for improvement”

May 26, 2026

NHS trust dismisses 11 staff members over Nottingham attack victims' records

May 21, 2026

LGA seeks clarity on legal privilege and criminal offences in duty of candour bill

May 18, 2026

Law Society supports disclosure obligations for AI use in court documents

May 13, 2026

City council undertakes governance review of charity amid regulator concern

May 07, 2026

Information Commissioner publishes guidance for public bodies amid surge in AI-generated FOI requests

May 07, 2026

Routine judicial decision-making “will be informed or directed by machines", Master of the Rolls says

May 06, 2026

Southwark must disclose SEND safety valve documents despite section 36 exemptions being engaged, tribunal rules

Apr 28, 2026

Data breaches recorded by English councils up 53% over five years, FOI analysis finds

Apr 21, 2026

ICO censures raft of local authorities for non-compliance with FOI statistics reporting

Apr 16, 2026

Government facing legal challenge over failure to proactively publish energy reports

Apr 13, 2026

ICO says Met Police FOI compliance has never risen above 75%

Apr 10, 2026

Judge rejects appeal over refusal of tribunal to certify council was in contempt over response to substituted decision notice

Mar 27, 2026

Police Scotland fined £66,000 for mishandling sensitive personal data

Mar 12, 2026

New platform to give care-experienced and adopted people better access to their records to be launched later in 2026

Mar 10, 2026

ICO praises FOI performance of mid-sized councils in North West but urges them to continue to review processes

Feb 13, 2026

AI transcription tools in social work introducing new risks to people and society, such as bias and ‘hallucinations’, report warns

Feb 12, 2026

Neighbourhood forum is public authority for purposes of Environmental Information Regulations, finds First-tier Tribunal

Feb 05, 2026

Council blames “administrative error” after tribunal did not receive notice of withdrawal of appeal

Jan 21, 2026

Russian state-aligned hackers are targeting local government in UK, Government cyber security organisation warns

Jan 21, 2026

Judge declares council acted unlawfully by failing to complete EHC needs assessment within timeframe

Jan 21, 2026

Council found in contempt and ordered to pay £35,000 costs over Environmental Information Regulations failings

Jan 16, 2026

Government and ICO agree memorandum of understanding in bid to shore-up data protection approach

Jan 09, 2026

Government to back new public services cyber security plan with £210m in funding

Jan 07, 2026

Data was copied without authorisation in recent cyber attack “with criminal intent”, London boroughs reveal

Dec 18, 2025

Information Commissioner writes to local authorities demanding change in handling of care records requests

Dec 09, 2025

ICO ‘names and shames’ public authorities over FOI failures

Dec 04, 2025

ICO reprimands Post Office over Horizon IT scandal data breach involving unredacted legal settlement document

Dec 03, 2025

Met Police ordered to pay foster carers compensation over disclosure of address in family court case

Dec 02, 2025

Information watchdog to continue with its public sector approach to data protection enforcement

Nov 24, 2025

Council refers itself to ICO after publishing personal data of 600 local plan respondents

Nov 11, 2025

Local Government Reorganisation 2026

Local Government Reorganisation 2026

Read our exclusive guide providing insight into the challenges that senior legal professionals are facing, alongside a step-by-step look at the work they will need to complete to ensure a smooth transition.

March 16, 2026

Local Government Reorganisation 2026

Must read

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Why Local Authorities Cannot Afford to Wait

The UK Government’s proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is likely to mark a significant shift in regulatory expectations. Jonathan Askin, Partner at Hugh James, explores the reasons why.

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Why Local Authorities Cannot Afford to Wait

Features

The New Data Protection Complaints Regime

The New Data Protection Complaints Regime

June 18, 2026

Maggie Burns and Charlotte Smith explain the ins and outs of a new complaints system for the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Why Local Authorities Cannot Afford to Wait

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Why Local Authorities Cannot Afford to Wait

May 20, 2026

The UK Government’s proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is likely to mark a significant shift in regulatory expectations. Jonathan Askin, Partner at Hugh James, explores the reasons why.

AI in Education: Why Data Protection Must Come First

AI in Education: Why Data Protection Must Come First

May 20, 2026

Artificial Intelligence promises a lot. It can undoubtedly do amazing things. But secretly (or maybe not so secretly), it also makes us slightly nervous. Adam Halsey looks at what this means for schools, and why data protection needs to sit at the centre of any decision to use AI.

The date for assessing whether requests are vexatious or manifestly unreasonable

The date for assessing whether requests are vexatious or manifestly unreasonable

May 18, 2026

Richard Beaty analyses a recent Tribunal ruling that considered the issue of the date at which a public authority should make its assessment of whether a request is vexatious or manifestly unreasonable.

The right to erasure and unfounded malicious allegations

The right to erasure and unfounded malicious allegations

Apr 23, 2026

FOI and information held on computer systems

FOI and information held on computer systems

Mar 26, 2026

Care leavers and redaction of records

Care leavers and redaction of records

Mar 13, 2026

Substituted decision notices and contempt of court

Substituted decision notices and contempt of court

Feb 25, 2026

Councillors in an increasingly digital age

Councillors in an increasingly digital age

Jan 28, 2026

Preparing for June 2026: A guide to local authority data protection complaint processes

Jan 28, 2026

Contempt, disclosure failures, and information governance

Dec 15, 2025

Judging the use of AI

Dec 12, 2025

Managing AI Risks in Local Government

Nov 13, 2025

S166 DPA 2018: Don’t mistake the FTT for a Data Ombudsman

Oct 23, 2025

Subject access requests: key issues for schools and academy trusts

Oct 22, 2025

The meaning of ‘vexatious’ / ‘manifestly unreasonable’

Oct 17, 2025

Why AI must power the next wave of Social Housing delivery

Sep 19, 2025

A different kind of target

Sep 18, 2025

Data protection damages: Equiniti in the Court of Appeal

Sep 12, 2025

From Wikimedia to the wider web: What the High Court’s judgment means for the Online Safety Act 2023

Aug 14, 2025

FOI is a collateral attack on enforcement

Aug 12, 2025

Supreme Court clarifies cumulative approach to qualified exemptions under FOIA

Aug 07, 2025

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: key considerations

Jul 30, 2025

Seven key insights: Lord Justice Birss considers AI in civil justice

Jul 09, 2025

Webinars

Data Protection Essentials

The Hugh James team provide a guide of need-to-know information about the field of Data Protection law.

Freedom of Information Essentials

Collection and use of personal data: a guide for social landlords

Data Protection: Current awareness issues for businesses

The LLG Grapevine 15th March

Digital Planning

Personal data in a post Brexit UK