February date set to hear data transfer challenge

A High Court judge will hear the action by the Data Protection Commissioner over the legality of existing data transfer channels between the EU and US next year.

Mr Justice Brian McGovern fixed the hearing, which could have enormous implications for EU-US trade and the data privacy rights of millions of EU citizens, to open on February 7, 2017. It will run for up to three weeks.

Commissioner Helen Dixon wants the High Court to refer issues concerning the validity of data transfer channels, known as standard contractual clauses and approved by various European Commission decisions, to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) for determination.