Tag: Ibrahim Hasan

Ibrahim Hasan Appointed Lecturer in Dubai

Act Now Training is pleased to announce that Ibrahim Hasan, has accepted an invitation to become an adjunct lecturer at Middlesex University Dubai (MDX Dubai). 

Ibrahim will be lecturing on the University’s new MSC in Legal Technology.
This innovative new programme offers a unique perspective on how to integrate and enhance legal theory with technological applications. It aims to educate law graduates, legal professionals and IT/computing graduates on legal technology innovations transforming legal practice today and in the future. 

This course recognises the developing intersection between law and technology and the increase of artificial intelligent (AI) being implemented within all sectors.
It covers key technical aspects of cybersecurity, AI, privacy, and data protection in the legal realm. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how technology is innovatively applied across various areas of legal practice, along with a theoretical foundation of its core principles. They will also develop practical skills and expertise, equipping them to pursue successful careers in law with a strong emphasis on the integration of technology. 

MDX Dubai was recognised by KHDA as Dubai’s largest UK university for a fourth consecutive year as of 2024, with over 5,600 students from over 120 nationalities.
It received a 5-Star KHDA rating for the quality of its education and overall student experience in 2020, followed by a second in 2022.  

This appointment acknowledges Ibrahim’s expertise in global information laws.
With over 20 years of experience in training and consultancy, he has been invited to speak at conferences and conduct training sessions worldwide, including in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Ibrahim’s publications include the Act Now GDPR Handbook, currently in its second edition, and he frequently contributes information law articles to the Law Society Gazette. He is also regularly interviewed as an expert on information law by various media outlets, including the BBC. 

Professor Tenia Kyriazi, Head of Law and Politics Programmes at MDX Dubai said: 

“I am delighted that Ibrahim has accepted our offer to become an adjunct lecturer on the new MSc in Legal Technology. This is an innovative new programme about a rapidly advancing field. I am sure that, with his global information law expertise, Ibrahim will be able to enhance our students’ understanding and appreciation for the interaction between law and technology.” 

Ibrahim Hasan said: 

“I am honoured to accept this position at Middlesex University Dubai. The interaction between information law and advances in technology is a fast-developing area. It gives me immense pleasure to be able to develop the profession further by working with new entrants to this field. I am looking forward to some interesting discussions and debates with the students.” 

Act Now Training continues to invest in the emerging Middle East Data Protection scene. Last year we launched, in collaboration with Middlesex University Dubai, the UAE’s first Data Protection Executive training programme. This practical course focusses on developing a data protection framework and ensuring compliance with the UAE Data Protection Law’s strict requirements. This is particularly relevant given the recent advancements in Data Protection law in the Middle East, including the UAE’s first comprehensive national data protection law, Federal Decree Law No. 45/2021. We have also launched our KSA privacy programme to help train new DPOs in Saudi Arabia’s first ever comprehensive Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) which became fully enforceable on 14th September 2024.  
 
If you are interested in learning more about the new MSC in Legal Technology. Please click on the link here and you can arrange a call back.

FOI Under Attack

Last week, a government minister called the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) a “truly malign piece of legislation”. Lord Callanan, a minister at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, made the comments during a parliamentary debate. He was defending the government’s decision that FOI should not apply to a new Defence research agency. 

It is not surprising that a government minister has expressed his dislike of FOI. The Act is very popular amongst politicians but only when they are in opposition. This view rapidly changes when they take up government positions and are on the receiving end of FOI requests. Tony Blair introduced the Act but regretted it in his memoirs, calling himself “a naive, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop”.

This new attack on FOI is not just about the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) and whether it should be subject to FOI. This a minister expressing his frustrations about legislation which has no doubt made the Government’s life more difficult especially during the Pandemic. Information requests have been made about key government decisions, the actions of advisers in allegedly breaking lockdown rules (Barnard Castle) and the award of lucrative PPE supplies contracts to companies who seemingly have little experience of the health sector. In July, the Information Commissioner launched an investigation into reports that ministers and senior officials have been using private correspondence channels, such as Whatsapp and private email accounts, to conduct sensitive official business. 

FOI allows the public to see how their money is being spent. It is extraordinary that a body like ARIA, which is responsible for spending £800 million of public funds over four years, should be free from the scrutiny that applies to the whole public sector including small parish councils. ARIA will be tasked with handing out lucrative research contracts and so the public have a right to know how their money will be spent.

Fees

Lord Callanan also said that charging the public fees for requesting government information was an “excellent idea”. This idea has also been backed by the incoming Information Commissioner, John Edwards. He told a committee of MPs in September that it was “legitimate” to ask the public to meet the cost of digging out the relevant information.

One of the governments arguments for introducing fees is that it costs money to deal with complex freedom of information request. However the current legislation already allows for fees to be charged if a request takes more than 18 hours to deal with or 24 hours if made to a government department. 

Introducing a flat fee or fees for all requests, will undermine the public’s trust in government. At a time when the economy is weak and the cost of living is going up, why should the public have to pay for information that has been gathered by public bodies using public funds? In a sense they would be asked to pay for it twice. Fees also mean that only the rich would be able to scrutinise and challenge decisions made by public bodies which affect their lives. 

It could be that Lord Callanan’s comments signal the start of a government attempt to weaken FOI. If this is the case, bearing in mind Boris Johnson’s parliamentary majority, we should all be concerned. The Government must lead by example and not weaken FOI because it is a hindrance.

Watch Ibrahim Hasan’s interview with RT News here.

Looking for an FOI qualification? We have one place left on our online FOI Practitioner Certificate course starting in January. 

Care Home Records: My BBC Interview

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Ibrahim Hasan writes… 

Data Protection law is about protecting peoples’ human rights. When organisations fail to comply, it can have a big impact on peoples’ lives. I was proud to work with the BBC on a recent story which highlights the importance of protecting the personal data of some of the most vulnerable in society. 

Thanks to tenacious journalism by Ben Moore and Tobey Wadey, piles of patient data which were left unsecured in an abandoned care home, more than four years after it was shut down, were finally removed. It included care plans, bank details and photos of injuries we well as information about relatives. The Information Commissioner is now on the case. 

You can watch the BBC report, which includes an interview with me here.   

The BBC website feature can be read here.