Data Protection - A Best Practice Guide for Professional Investigators

It was in May 2000 at an industry-wide seminar dedicated to the then newly implemented, Data Protection Act 1998 that key speaker, Assistant Information Commissioner, Philip Jones, promoted the idea that the Association of British Investigators should prepare a Best Practice Guide for all UK-based Private Investigators.

Apart from not knowing where or how to begin such an awesome project there was considerable doubt as to its feasibility. It was on the eve of licensing and the clear signal that to gain a licence professional investigators would be tested as to their suitability both as to competence and their integrity, that the association acknowledged the feasibility and in deed the importance and urgency to publish such a guide.

Richard Newman, the association’s Vice President at that time, was duly commissioned to work on the project. His dedicated research and commitment to the project produced the Best Practice Guide in a comprehensive, yet easy to follow style that does him, the association and the profession proud. The guide will be a must have for every legitimate professional investigative agency and will be promoted as the template for the European-wide regulatory harmonisation of the profession.

Tony Imossi
President
Association of British Investigators
January 2004

Order your copy today

Available from the ABI, priced £45.00 (including p+p).

Send a cheque, made payable to the Association of British Investigators, to

The General Secretary
Association of British Investigators
295/297 Church Street
BLACKPOOL
Lancashire
FY1 3PJ

Telephone 0871 474 0006 for further information.

Sorry, this book is now out of print. We are working on an updated version, which will include additional legislation introduced since 2003. To reserve your copy please email our General Secretary.

Guide wins industry praise

“This is a Guide for Professional Investigators prepared by a Professional Investigator.

If you type in the word ‘investigate’ into the thesaurus you are confronted with a list which includes the words examine, look into, explore, inspect, study, consider, probe and scrutinize.

That is how Richard Newman, at the behest of the Association of British Investigators, has approached the legal environment in which investigators now operate. He has conducted a thorough examination and presented the results of his investigation in an accessible way.

In this Guide those laws are not described in technical language or set out in formal terms. They are tackled, again with the skills of the professional investigator approaching a case, on an individual basis, picking out the significant or salient points and described in ways understandable to the non-lawyer.

It is a work which covers a range of areas. It may come as a surprise to some that the environment is such a complex one. It certainly came as a surprise to me to see the number of laws to which the professional investigator must be alert. No doubt this Guide will be a valuable source of information to those who are finding their way around the terrain.”

Rosemary Jay, former solicitor with the Information Commissioner’s Office, and now with Masons Solicitors of Manchester.

“I have now had an opportunity to glance through the 100+ pages of the most informative material setting out law, ethics and methodology pitfalls for the UK Professional Investigator.

It is truly a remarkable compilation of those laws and regulations applicable to our chosen Profession, neatly organised into an easy-to-read format, and really should be a must for every PI’s Office bookshelf.

On behalf of the World Association of Professional Investigators Governing Council and membership, I congratulate Richard on having produced such a fine text book.”

Ian D. Withers, Chairman, World Association of Professional Investigators

“I have had a quick skim of the Guide - it certainly seems both comprehensive and clearly expressed.”

Philip Jones, Assistant Commissioner of the office of the Information Commissioner.

“The Joint Security Industry Council recognises the hard work and careful research conducted by the author, Richard Newman, in putting together the first comprehensive guide for investigating officers and others to determine a clear pathway through the miriad of laws, rules and regulations.”

Mike Welply, CEO, Joint Security Industry Council