WA Bar Chambers Ltd Commitment to Privacy

WA Bar Chambers Ltd (Francis Burt Chambers) is committed to managing personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and in accordance with other applicable privacy laws.

This document sets out the Francis Burt Chambers’ policies for managing your personal information and is referred to as its Privacy Policy.

In this Privacy Policy, “you” refers to any individual about whom we collect personal information.

About the Company

WA Bar Chambers Ltd provides chambers and other services to the barristers who are members of Francis Burt Chambers.

Francis Burt Chambers (then known as Bar Chambers) was established in 1962 and its members have been serving the legal profession and wider community for more than 50 years.

What information does Francis Burt Chambers collect about you?

Members and Prospective Members

The type of personal information that we collect will vary depending on the circumstances of collection, but will typically include:

  • your name, age or date of birth, e-mail, postal address and other contact details;
  • your qualifications and professional details;
  • the identities and contact details of your referees;
  • details of telephone calls, charges and payments;
  • bank account details
  • credit card details;
  • metadata arising out of your use of internet and electronic library services provided by Francis Burt Chambers;
  • service requests, complaints and feedback; and
  • any additional personal information you provide to us, or authorise us to collect, as part of your interaction with the Company.

Employees and Prospective Employees

Francis Burt Chambers collects personal information when recruiting personnel, such as your name, contact details, qualifications and work history. Generally, we will collect this information directly from you.

We may also collect personal information from third parties in ways which you would expect (e.g. from recruitment agencies or referees you have nominated). Before offering you a position, we may collect additional details such as your tax file number, superannuation information and other information necessary to conduct background checks to determine your suitability for certain positions.

Other individuals

Francis Burt Chambers may collect personal information about other individuals. This includes solicitors and members of the public who participate in events with which we are involved, and service providers and contractors to the Company. The kinds of personal information we collect will depend on the capacity in which you are dealing with the Francis Burt Chambers, but will generally include your name, contact details, and information regarding our interactions and transactions with you.

We may take images or audio-visual recordings which identify you if you are participating in an event we are managing or delivering.

In limited circumstances, Francis Burt Chambers may collect information which is considered sensitive information. For example, if you are injured at an event promoted or delivered by Francis Burt Chambers we may collect health information about you in an emergency or otherwise with your consent.

You can always decline to give Francis Burt Chambers any personal information we request, but that may mean we cannot provide you with some or all of the services you have requested.

If you have any concerns about personal information we have requested, please let us know.

Visitors to our websites

The way in which we handle the personal information of visitors to our websites is discussed below.

How and why does Francis Burt Chambers collect and use your personal information?

Francis Burt Chambers collects personal information reasonably necessary to carry out its business, to assess and manage the needs of solicitors and clients, to provide services including referrals to barristers practising in particular areas and the provision of Continuing Practice Development seminars and papers. We may also collect information to fulfil administrative functions associated with these services, for example billing and entering into contracts with you and/or third parties for the provision of services.

The purposes for which Francis Burt Chambers usually collects and uses personal information depends on the nature of your interaction with us, but may include:

  • responding to requests for information and other general inquiries;
  • managing, planning, advertising and administering programs and events;
  • researching, developing and expanding our facilities and services;
  • informing you of our activities, events, facilities and services;
  • arranging insurance;
  • recruitment processes (including for volunteers, internships and work experience); and
  • responding to enquires and complaints.

Francis Burt Chambers generally collects personal information directly from you. We may collect and update your personal information over the phone, by email, over the internet, through social media, or in person.

Francis Burt Chambers may also collect and use personal information for market research purposes and to innovate our delivery of services.

How does Francis Burt Chambers interact with you via the Internet?

You may visit our website at www.francisburt.com.au without identifying yourself. If you identify yourself (e.g.by providing your contact details in an enquiry), any personal information you provide to Francis Burt Chambers will be managed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Our website use cookies. A “cookie” is a small file stored on your computer’s browser, which assists in managing customised settings of the website and delivering content. We collect certain information such as your device type, browser type, IP address, pages you have accessed on our websites and on third-party websites. You are not identifiable from such information.

You can use the settings in your browser to control how your browser deals with cookies. However, in doing so, you may be unable to access certain pages or content on our website.

Francis Burt Chambers’ website may contain links to third-party websites. Francis Burt Chambers is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of websites that are linked to our website.

Personal information provided directly to a barrister is not governed by this Policy.

Can you deal with Francis Burt Chambers anonymously?

Francis Burt Chambers will provide individuals with the opportunity of remaining anonymous or using a pseudonym in their dealings with us where it is lawful and practicable (for example, when making a general enquiry). Generally, it is not practicable for Francis Burt Chambers to deal with individuals anonymously or pseudonymously on an ongoing basis. If we do not collect personal information about you, you may be unable to utilise our services or participate in our events, programs or activities we manage or deliver.

How does Francis Burt Chambers hold information?

Francis Burt Chambers stores information in paper-based files and using electronic record keeping methods (including trusted third-party storage providers based in Australia and overseas). Personal information may be collected in paper-based documents and converted to electronic form for use or storage, with the original paper-based documents either archived or securely destroyed. Francis Burt Chambers takes reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Francis Burt Chambers maintains physical security over paper and electronic data stores, such as through locks and security systems at our premises. We also maintain computer and network security, e.g. through firewalls and other security systems such as user identifiers and passwords to control access to our computer systems.

Our websites do not necessarily use encryption or other technologies to ensure the secure transmission of information via the internet. Users of our websites are encouraged to exercise care in sending personal information via the internet.

We take steps to destroy or de-identify information that we no longer require.

Does Francis Burt Chambers use or disclose your personal information for direct marketing?

Francis Burt Chambers may use or disclose your personal information for the purpose of informing you about our services, upcoming promotions and events or other opportunities that may interest you. If you do not want to receive direct marketing communications, you can opt-out at any time by contacting us using the contact details below.

If you opt-out of receiving marketing material from us, Francis Burt Chambers may still contact you in relation to its ongoing relationship with you.

How does Francis Burt Chambers use and disclose personal information?

For solicitors and clients

The purposes for which we may use and disclose your personal information will depend on the services we are providing you. For example, if you have engaged us to deliver a service, we may disclose information about you to service providers where this is relevant to our services.

For customers and participants

If you are a customer or participant in an event, we may disclose your personal information to our clients and venues where this is reasonably necessary for, and relevant to, the delivery of the event. We may use images or audio-visual recordings which identify you for promotional purposes where you would reasonably expect this to occur.

Disclosure to contractors and other service providers

Francis Burt Chambers may disclose information to third parties we engage in order to provide our services, including contractors and service providers used for data processing, data analysis, customer satisfaction surveys, information technology services and support, website maintenance or development, printing, archiving, mail-outs, and market research.

Use and disclosure for administration and management

Francis Burt Chambers will also use and disclose personal information for a range of administrative, management and operational purposes. This includes:

  • administering billing and payments and debt recovery;
  • planning, managing, monitoring and evaluating our services;
  • quality improvement activities;
  • statistical analysis and reporting;
  • training staff, contractors and other workers;
  • risk management and management of legal liabilities and claims (eg, liaising with insurers and legal representatives);
  • responding to enquiries and complaints regarding our services;
  • obtaining advice from consultants and other professional advisers; and
  • responding to subpoenas and other legal orders and obligations.

Other uses and disclosures

We may use and disclose your personal information for other purposes explained at the time of collection or otherwise as set out in this Privacy Policy.

Does Francis Burt Chambers disclose your personal information overseas?

Although barristers within Francis Burt Chambers work with solicitors and clients around the world, it is unlikely that your personal information will be disclosed by Francis Burt Chambers to overseas recipients.

We will only disclose your personal information to overseas recipients where we have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipient does not breach the APPs in relation to your personal information.

How can you access or seek correction of your personal information?

You are entitled to access your personal information held by Francis Burt Chambers upon request. To request access to your personal information please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact details set out below.

You will not be charged for making a request to access your personal information but you may be charged for the reasonable time and expense incurred in compiling information in response to your request.

Francis Burt Chambers will take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date. You can help us to do this by letting us know if you notice errors or discrepancies in information we hold about you and letting us know if your personal details change.

If you consider any personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading you are entitled to request correction of that information. We will take reasonable steps to correct your information after receiving a request from you to do so.

We may decline your request to access or correct your personal information in certain circumstances in accordance with the APPs. If we do so, we will provide you with a reason for our decision and, in the case of a request for correction, we will include a statement with your personal information about the requested correction.

What should you do if you have a complaint about the handling of your personal information?

You may contact Francis Burt Chambers at any time if you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or about the way in which your personal information has been handled.

You may make a complaint about privacy to the Privacy Officer at the contact details set out below.

The Privacy Officer will first consider your complaint to determine whether there are simple or immediate steps which can be taken to resolve the complaint. We will generally respond to your complaint within 7 days.

If your complaint requires more detailed consideration or investigation, we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within that time and endeavour to complete our investigation into your complaint promptly. We may ask you to provide further information about your complaint and the outcome you are seeking. We will then typically gather relevant facts, locate and review relevant documents and speak with individuals involved.

In most cases, we will investigate and respond to a complaint within 30 days of receipt of the complaint. We will let you know if we consider the matter is more complex or that our investigation may take longer than that 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, or you consider that Francis Burt Chambers may have breached the APPs or the Privacy Act, a complaint may be made to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The OAIC can be contacted by telephone on 1300 363 992 or by using the contact details on the OAIC website.

How are changes made to this Privacy Policy?

Francis Burt Chambers may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time, with or without notice to you. We recommend that you visit our website regularly to keep up to date with any changes.

How can you contact Francis Burt Chambers?

The contact details for Francis Burt Chambers are:

Francis Burt Chambers Privacy Officer
Level 25, Allendale Square
77 St George’s Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
T: +61 8 9220 0444

This Privacy Policy was last updated in January 2021.