Law specialist group: Committee
Here are the members of the Law specialist group committee.
Law SG Chair
Dr Sam De Silva, CITP FBCS
Sam is an internationally recognised technology, data and cyber lawyer who is a partner at the leading international law firm CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP. Sam has nearly 20 years’ experience providing strategic legal advice to the C-Suite in cutting-edge technology and digital transformational projects in a number of countries.
Treasurer
Colin Pearson CEng CITP MBCS
BCS member since 1974 - active on several SG committees (Internet, Consultancy) - recently retired from Staffordshire University as Enterprise Reader advising SMEs but continues as part-time Expert Witness conducting forensic examinations of computers, contracts and other related evidence, criminal & civil. Certified by AccreditUK.com, SJE Law Society Register.
Secretary
Panagiota Karadimitriou CITP FBCS
BCS Member since 2002, IT professional with 20 years of experience leading complex projects in Software Engineering and IT Infrastructure. Computer Engineer with a second undergoing Bachelor in Law and master studies in computer science, security and forensics.
Worked in private sector and public sector. Currently, Digital Transformation Services Coordinator at ENISA. I am an IT Law and IT Policy enthusiast who hopes the group can serve a good role for BCS Members and bridge the legal vs technical worlds; as more and more there is a need of combination of knowledge of these two domains in innovative technologies.
Expert Group Liaison
Dr Nigel Young CITP MBCS MMA FAE (Fellow of The Academy of Experts)
Dr. Nigel Young's background is in mathematics. He started his career applying mathematical and computer techniques to industrial research problems. From there he moved into software development of a mixture of technical and commercial applications.
In 1995, he started acting as an expert witness and he now has a practice in civil and criminal disputes (with the odd family case thrown in). Along the way, Nigel became Chairman of The Academy of Experts, the first of the learned societies for expert witnesses across professions. Nigel is still a member of its Council and works on its various projects. The Academy of Experts (TAE) and The Expert Witness Institute (EWI) are the two learned societies for expert witnesses recognised by the BCS.
Programme Development & IT Professionalism
Dr Stephen Castell CITP MBCS
Dr. Stephen Castell CITP, is a Medallist, IT Consultant of the Year (BCS Professional Awards), an independent expert witness, consultant, mediator and arbitrator, experienced in risk assessment, quality assurance, litigation and dispute resolution in regard to complex, large-scale IT&T systems investment, contracts, implementation projects and operations, and IP, patent and software copyright matters.
Stephen is widely published, and is a past Correspondent of the Computer Law and Security Report: his seminal paper “Forensic Systems Analysis: A Methodology for Assessment and Avoidance of IT Disasters and Disputes” was issued as a Cutter Consortium Executive Report, Enterprise Risk Management & Governance Advisory Service series (3, 2, March 8, 2006).
His article, ‘The future decisions of RoboJudge HHJ Arthur Ian Blockchain: Dread, delight or derision?’, Castell, S. (2018), Computer Law & Security Review, 34, 4, August 2018, 739-753, the Landmark 200th issue of CLSR, notes that, while many are concerned about defining and developing AI Machine Ethics, Castell's Second Dictum: “You cannot construct an algorithm that will reliably decide whether or not any algorithm is ethical” (2017) reveals that this is a futile exercise. “Talking about the ethics of machines might be like speaking of the happiness of water".
Committee member
David Misell
David Misell MIET MBCS MSc is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional. David has had a keen interest in computing law since completing the Computer Crime Module as part of the Royal Holloway University of London Information Security Group Master in Information security. David has always had a problem with questions like Have you ever hacked? since solving a task set by his first computer studies teacher - "Write a piece of code to reproduce itself". He solved it on a PDP/11 clone which was itself the first example of infringement of DEC's IPR by Systime.
In 2005/6 David was able to detect what became known as APT one and was able to produce suitable multi-coloured security models to allow a range of internet, 3rd party development, and government systems to co-exist on the UKIP model infrastructure. This was taken through ISO 27001/2 in 2004.
His first accredited system was the BT Labs Remote access system: a precursor to broadband, in use globally.
He was Technical Design Authority for crisis operations in the former Yugoslavia, where he built infrastructure at night and securely managed the network in Sarajevo for the IFOR and SFOR peace missions.
David is the treasurer of the Communications Management Association and DevSecOps groups of the BCS.
Committee member
Professor Andy Phippen
Professor Andy Phippen is a Professor of Digital Rights at the Bournemouth University and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Suffolk. He has specialised in the use of ICTs in social contexts and the intersection with legislation for over 15 years, carrying out a large amount of grass roots research on issues such as attitudes toward privacy and data protection, internet safety and contemporary issues such as sexting, peer abuse and the impact of digital technology on well-being. He has presented written and oral evidence to parliamentary inquiries related to the use and regulation of ICTs in society, is widely published in the area and is a frequent media commentator on these issues.
Committee member
Tara Taubman-Bassirian
Tara Taubman-Bassirian, LLM, is a French privacy advocate based in the UK who has studied private law at the prestigious Paris University Pantheon Assas, before specialising on Computer and Communication Law at Queen Mary University of London. She has completed for IP Law knowledge with a Harvard University course. She has expertise in areas of privacy, data protection, intellectual property, eCommerce or eReputation. She has made a name for herself in several areas of the world, most notably the UK, France and the US. Languages she practices have helped her to widen her horizon and reach. An early adopter of emerging technologies, Tara makes it her business to understand the challenges presented by regulations in this high connectivity era, which is how she has become a trusted adviser to individuals & businesses navigating legal pathways to compliance on the internet. Tara is very active in raising awareness of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) & advising businesses on the compliance requirements. Tara is also involved with The Raymond Nicolet Trust supporting education in Serbia.
