A Matter Of Privilege
Confidential communications between lawyers and their clients are sacrosanct. They are subject to legal professional privilege, which means they cannot be disclosed by anyone – including the lawyer – to anyone else – including the government, the courts, the police, or anyone at all – without the client’s express authorisation. That principle has been around for about 500 years, and remains a fundamental tenant of our legal system. But it has, at times, been sorely tested.
Have You Seen Your Credit Status Lately?!
Have you checked your credit status lately? Chances are you’ve never heard of organisations like VEDA, Dunn and Bradstreet or Experian, but you can bet they’ve heard of you. They provide credit reports to financial lenders. So if you have a credit card or phone, or you’re named on a utility bill, or if you’ve ever applied for a loan of any kind, then almost certainly at least one of them will have a detailed file on you. According to its latest report, Veda alone holds credit information on 20 million Australians.