(07) 5597 3366

Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)

 

1. INTRODUCTION

At Bell Legal Group, we respect the privacy of individuals and protect personal information. Bell Legal Group understands that privacy and how we collect, use, disclose and protect your information is important to you. This policy details how we safeguard your personal information and our privacy obligations to you in compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).  These obligations apply to your personal information which is collected by us or disclosed to us as result of acting for you or collected from you accessing our website at https://belllegal.com.au/ (the ‘Website’). Your use of the Website is also governed by Bell Legal Group’s Website Terms of Use.

We may amend or update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be effective from the date of publication on our Website.

2.MEANING OF ‘PERSONAL INFORMATION’

Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether the information or opinion is true or not, and whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not. For example, we will collect your name, address and other pertinent details when we take instructions from you in relation to a particular matter.

 

3.TYPES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION COLLECTED

We may, with your consent, collect personal information from you or from publicly available sources of information. The type of personal information that we collect will depend on the nature of your dealings with us. For example, when you:

  • provide us with instructions;
  • provide personal information to us;
  • apply for a position of employment with us;
  • use the Website;
  • contact us, for example, to ask for information.

The type of personal information we collect from you generally comprises your name, address (home, business and email), occupation, Internet Protocol (IP) address, gender, contact details (telephone, mobile, facsimile) and information which is relevant to the service you require from us. Bell Legal Group will not ask to collect sensitive information about you unless it is needed for the purposes of providing legal advice. Failure to collect this personal information may prevent us from providing our clients with legal services or from achieving the purpose for which the information was given to us.

Bell Legal Group uses its own identifiers and does not use any government related identifiers such as drivers licence numbers, Medicare numbers, Australian passport numbers or Centrelink reference numbers.

 

4.PURPOSES FOR WHICH PERSONAL INFORMATION IS COLLECTED

Bell Legal Group collects personal information from you so that we can verify your identity and provide legal services to you. We may also collect personal information about you from third parties with whom we are dealing on your behalf. We know you may be concerned about what we do with your personal information. You have our assurance that we will not disclose the information, and will use reasonable endeavours to prevent the disclosure of the information, except to the extent:

  • indicated at the time of supply of the personal information to us;
  • expressly permitted under any agreement with you;
  • required for performance by us of services to you;
  • required for the ordinary operation of our Website or our business (e.g. to send you information about our services);
  • required under compulsion of law or provided in co-operation with any governmental authority; or

where it is already publicly available or disclosed by us in a manner that does not readily permit personal information identifying you.

 

5.USE AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Bell Legal Group may use or disclose your personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, including where you would reasonably expect us to use or disclose your personal information. We may also, subject to confidentiality provisions, disclose your personal information to third parties, including barristers, our advisers, third party service providers and consultants. The countries in which overseas specialists are located will depend on the circumstances. We will only disclose your personal information to overseas parties with your express or implied consent.

 

6.FUTURE CONTACT AND YOUR PRIVACY

We may use the personal information we collect from you to contact you and provide you with updated information about Bell Legal Group in relation to events or to provide you with other information about our services. If you do not wish to receive such information, please notify us at the contact details below.

 

7.ACCESS AND SEEKING CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Bell Legal Group takes reasonable steps to ensure the personal information it collects is accurate, up-to-date and complete. You have the right to request access to your personal information and to request its correction or update. You may contact us via: Nicole Anderson, Privacy Officer, (07) 5597 3366, Level 5, 140 Bundall Road, Bundall QLD 4217, nanderson@belllegal.com.au.

 

In certain circumstances, the law permits us to refuse your request to provide you with access to your personal information where:

  • access would pose a serious threat to the life, safety or health of any individual or public health or public safety;
  • access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others;
  • the request is frivolous or vexatious;
  • the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings and would not be accessible by the process of discovery in those proceedings;
  • access would reveal the intentions of a party in relation to negotiations or prejudice those negotiations;
  • access would be unlawful; or
  • access may prejudice enforcement activities or a security function.

If we refuse to give you access to your information, we will give you a written notice that sets out the reasons for the refusal, the mechanisms available to complain about the refusal and any other matter prescribed by regulations made pursuant to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) .

8.DATA SECURITY

Bell Legal Group takes reasonable steps to ensure the security of your personal information. We employ appropriate technical, administrative and physical procedures to protect personal information from misuse, interference and loss, unauthorised disclosure or alteration. We regularly conduct targeted internal and external audits on our security systems to validate the integrity of our security practices.

We will notify you as soon as practicable in the event of a serious breach of your data, in accordance with our legal and insurance obligations. We will also notify the relevant supervisory bodies in accordance with our obligations under both domestic and international law.

 

9.WEBSITE PRIVACY

When you visit the Website or download information from it, our Internet Service Provider (ISP) makes a record of your visit and records the following information:

  • your Internet Address;
  • your domain name (if applicable);
  • the date and time of your visit to the website;
  • previous site visited; and
  • browser type.

This information is anonymous and does not identify individual users.

 

10.DISCLAIMERS

The Website may contain links to other websites. This Privacy Policy does not apply to your use of another website accessed through a link from our website. Bell Legal Group cannot and does not make any warranty or representation as to the practices or security of any linked websites in the handling of your personal information. We encourage you to read the privacy policies on those websites prior to providing any information to them. Bell Legal Group accepts no responsibility for unauthorised use of any password or other security mechanism provided to you other than by a Bell Legal Group staff member.

 

11.COMPLAINTS

You are entitled to make a complaint if you believe that we have breached any of the Australian Privacy Principles.

Any complaints should INITIALLY be made in writing to Nicole Anderson, Privacy Officer, (07) 5597 3366, Level 5, 140 Bundall Road, Bundall QLD 4217, nanderson@belllegal.com.au.

Complaints will be reviewed by our Privacy Officer and a response will be provided within 30 days of receipt of the complaint by us. If you believe that your complaint has not been satisfactorily addressed by us, you can take your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at https://www.oaic.gov.au/.

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