Deputy faces 'formal reprimand' for data breach

A member of the States should be "formally reprimanded" for sharing confidential information without consent, the Channel Island's Commissioner for Standards has said.

Dr Melissa McCullough found Deputy Chris Blin had breached the code of conduct by "inappropriately sharing confidential information with a third party".

Mr Blin was found to have sent a private email without the consent of a States member.

Mr Blin said his actions were "well intended", apologised for any inconvenience caused, and accepted he should have asked for permission.

He said: "I had forwarded one of a sequence of emails to someone who had previously been included in the email exchange for clarification on a specific issue but I did so without seeking consent from others.

"This error on my part was picked up by the commissioner when she was investigating another issue unrelated to me."

The commissioner concluded Mr Blin should provide an apology, however under the current legislation, it was not an "available sanction" in the context of the complaint.

"Therefore, I must recommend Deputy Blin be formally reprimanded," the commissioner said.

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