AB v A Chief Constable

Police – Disclosure of information. The claimant left the police force for another job with a regulatory body before an internal investigation into his misconduct was completed. The force through its Assistant Chief Officer GH sent on his behalf sent a standard reference which did not answer questions in the regulatory body's reference request raising the claimant's sickness and disciplinary record. The Chief Constable brought proceedings seeking to send another fuller second reference. The Queen's Bench Division held that the Chief Constable was obliged by his duty to act with honesty and integrity not to give a standard reference for the recipient because that was misleading. However given the circumstances it would be a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 and would undermine the claimant's legitimate expectations for the second reference to be sent.