More than 800 police officers and civilian employees have lodged High Court proceedings in Belfast against the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
Lawyers from Reid Black and Co issued proceedings this week and those were reviewed by the High Court on Friday by Mr Justice McAlinden.
He issued directions to the PSNI chief constable and to solicitors acting on behalf of the 800-plus claimants whose details were wrongly disseminated, indicating that it appeared to be a “sensible approach to a case of this magnitude”.
Commenting on the court action, Reid Black solicitors welcomed the High Court’s directions and indicated they would continue to take a proactive approach on behalf of their clients who remained extremely concerned about their personal data and security being compromised by their employer.
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In other cases, criminal courts have heard evidence from senior police officers who believe the information mistakenly released in the major data breach last August is in the hands of dissident republicans and serious organised crime gangs.
The data includes the surname and first initial of 10,000 PSNI employees. It also includes their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit in which they work.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said: “As this is subject to ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment.”