Tag: Office of the Ombudsman
Ministry breached data law with vaccine prize draw
(CNS): As the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) marks International Data Protection Day this Saturday, it has revealed some of the details of its work this year in that area of its remit, including an own motion investigation (OMI) into a data protection complaint about the government’s “vaccine challenge” event, in which the ministry failed […]
K9 Baron’s death could lead to criminal charges
(CNS): The findings of an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) and the Department of Agriculture into the death of RCIPS canine Baron last year were handed to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions four months ago, the OMB has revealed. While there were unofficial reports at the time that the […]
Complaints about police fall sharply during 2021
(CNS): The number of complaints received about the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service fell significantly in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to the newly released annual report from the Office of the Ombudsman. Complaints decreased to 28 last year compared to 57 in 2020. Only four of the complaints were resolved after a […]
FOI requests pick back up after lockdown decline
(CNS): After a decline in requests during 2020 when the Cayman Islands was locked down and the borders closed, freedom of information applications increased last year from 230 to 426, according to statistics released by the Office of the Ombudsman. The report released yesterday to mark International Right to Know Day on 28 September showed […]
Ombudsman supervising DoA probe into canine death
(CNS) UPDATED: The Department of Agriculture’s investigation into the unexplained death last month of Baron, a Belgian shepherd with the K-9 Unit, while he was in the George Town Police Station kennels is being supervised by the Office of the Ombudsman, CNS has learned, and Ombudsman Sharon Roulstone has said that the findings of the […]
Appeal favours right to know over commercial ‘secrets’
(CNS): A decision by the Office of the Ombudsman has clarified the extent to which records of private sector service providers are exempt from release under the FOI Act weighed against the public’s right to know about deals with the government. The decision related to a freedom of information request to the Cayman Islands Airports […]
Roulstone appointed as new Ombudsman
(CNS): Sharon Roulstone is to be the new Ombudsman overseeing public complaints against the government and the police, whistle-blower protection, freedom of information requests and data protection. Governor Martyn Roper announced Roulstone’s appointment on social media Thursday, saying her “professional achievements, integrity and passion impressed the recruitment panel who unanimously agreed that she was well […]
Ombudsman sees 50% increase in data breaches
(CNS): The Ombudsman’s office saw a 15% increase in data protection queries from the public during 2021, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and issues around vaccination status. But the office also said there was a 50% increase in the number of data breaches being reported, where personal data had been accessed, lost, altered or […]
Bosses warned to keep vaccine info secure
(CNS): The Office of the Ombudsman has said that employers must still abide by the Data Protection Law when meeting the new requirement to ensure staff on work permits are vaccinated. Before they record the COVID-19 vaccine status of expatriate employees, they must make sure they are retaining that information legally and are advised to […]
Fitness centres warned to protect COVID data
(CNS): Gyms, sports clubs and fitness centres have been warned by the ombudsman that they must follow data protection legislation when they check that their clients have either been fully vaccinated or have a negative PCR test to enter their facilities as part of the new COVID-19 rules. The new regulations do not require these […]
Pandemic causes significant drop in FOI requests
(CNS): The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the number of freedom of information requests made by members of the public last year, according to the Office of the Ombudsman, which released the statistics to mark International Right to Know Day on Tuesday. The number of requests in 2020 was the lowest ever made […]
