GDPR.ME.UK · WORKING DOCUMENT 71
Lawful basis, LIA and privacy notice review
Complete the basis decision for each purpose before drafting notices. Use the LIA section for ordinary legitimate interests; recognised legitimate interest is a separate, restricted statutory basis.
Document edition 2 · 1 November 2026 · Adapt to your processing and evidence. Use references rather than personal records.
Record details
1. Map each purpose to a lawful basis
- Identify the purpose, affected people, information and processing operation. Explain necessity and the factual basis for the choice.
- Consider the current Article 6 bases: consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interests, public task, ordinary legitimate interests and recognised legitimate interest.
- For recognised legitimate interest, identify the exact statutory purpose and conditions. Do not use the label as a general marketing basis.
2. Check sensitive-data conditions
- Identify an additional Article 9 condition for special-category information or Article 10 authorisation for criminal-offence information, where relevant.
- Check any applicable DPA Schedule 1 condition and its safeguards, including whether an Appropriate Policy Document is required.
- Record the actual condition and evidence; do not assume ordinary legitimate interests alone authorise sensitive processing.
3. Complete the ordinary legitimate interests assessment
- Purpose test: identify whose interest is pursued, the benefit, whether it is lawful and its importance.
- Necessity test: explain why the processing is needed and why a less intrusive reasonable alternative does not achieve the aim.
- Balancing test: consider reasonable expectations, the relationship, sensitive information, vulnerability, impact, safeguards and the ability to object. Record the conclusion and reassessment triggers.
4. Test consent where used
- Check that the request is clear, specific, informed, freely given and separate from unrelated terms. Use an affirmative choice and keep evidence of what was agreed.
- Test withdrawal in practice and explain the consequences accurately. Consider whether an imbalance of power makes consent unsuitable.
- Distinguish GDPR consent from the PECR channel or device-storage consent that may also be required.
5. Review the privacy notice and delivery journey
- Check identity and contacts, DPO/representative details where relevant, purposes, lawful bases, interests, recipients, transfers, retention, applicable rights, complaints and relevant automated decision information.
- For indirect collection, review source and categories plus Article 14 timing and any properly supported exception. For direct collection, provide required information at collection.
- Check whether provision of information is a statutory or contractual requirement and explain relevant consequences. Publish a clear route for complaints to the controller and the regulator.
- Use accessible layers for website, worker, patient/client and CCTV contexts; check that published statements match operational practice.
6. Approve and maintain
- Resolve contradictory bases, missing conditions and misleading statements before relying on the record.
- Record publication, staff communication and related ROPA or contract updates.
- Set review triggers for changed purposes, technology, legal requirements or supplier practices.
Sources and completion
- ICO: Guide to lawful basis (opens in a new tab)
- ICO: Special-category conditions (opens in a new tab)
- ICO: Privacy information checklist (opens in a new tab)
- ICO: Controller complaints handling (opens in a new tab)
Record who reviewed and approved the document. Save a working copy to reopen it later, or export the completed HTML record. Your entries stay in this page; automatic storage is not enabled. A downloaded record may contain sensitive operational information.
The template does not verify facts, perform an audit, submit a notification or execute a contract.