Europe has been a pioneer in the protection of personal data. From the 1970’s, the Council of Europe, OECD, and the EU have progressively developed a complex body of norms to protect personal data. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights now recognises a fundamental right to the protection of personal data, which is autonomous from the right to privacy. Numerous high-profile cases on the right to data protection have come before the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court
of Human Rights. In 2016, the EU updated its data protection legislation by introducing a general regulation on data protection (GDPR), a single legal instrument which is directly binding in all member states. This module will examine in detail the principles and mechanisms established by the GDPR. It will also provide students with a systematic understanding of the relevant case law and practical training on how to apply general norms to factual situations.