Skip to main content
Department of Health Department of Health An Roinn Sláinte Männystrie O Pouste

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Topics
  • Publications
  • Consultations
  • Contact

Translation help

Translate this page

Select a language

  • Arabic — عربي
  • Chinese (Simplified) — 中文简体
  • Chinese (Traditional) — 中文繁體
  • Dutch — Nederlands
  • Filipino — Filipino
  • French — Français
  • German — Deutsch
  • Hungarian — Magyar
  • Irish — Gaeilge
  • Italian — Italiano
  • Latvian — Latviešu
  • Lithuanian — Lietuvių kalba
  • Polish — Polski
  • Portuguese — Português
  • Romanian — Română
  • Russian — Русский
  • Slovak — Slovenčina
  • Spanish — Español
  • Ukrainian — Українська
  • The Electronic Communications Act 2000

    Topics:
    • Good management, good records, 
    • Legal and professional obligations

    Part I of this Act which deals with the cryptography service providers never came into force and has now been repealed (see section 16(4) of the Act which provides for repeal of Part I if no order bringing it into force is made within 5 years of the passing of the Act).

    The Act

    Section 8 of the Act provides a power to modify legislation to remove restrictions arising from other legislation which prevent the use of electronic communications or storage in place of paper.

    The Act increases confidence in electronic transactions by providing legal admissibility for digital signatures.

    • The Electronic Communications Act 2000

    Records management considerations

    Organisations should ensure that electronic information is held and transferred in accordance with the Act and other provisions to ensure that confidential information is accessed only by those with a need to know it in order to carry out their role.

    Related content

    • Administrative law
    • Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 (as amended)
    • Completed Equality Screenings
    • Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008
    • Police Act 1997
    • Public Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1967
    • The Access to Health Records (Northern Ireland) Order 1993
    • The Access to Personal Files and Medical Reports (Northern Ireland) Order 1991
    • The Adoption Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989
    • The Census (Confidentiality) (Northern Ireland) Order 1991
    • The Civil Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1997
    • The Common Law Duty of Confidentiality
    • The Computer Misuse Act 1990
    • The Congenital Disabilities (Civil Liability) Act 1976
    • The Consumer Protection (Northern Ireland) Order 1987
    • The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) (COSHH) 2003
    • The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
    • The Environmental Information Regulations 2004
    • The Foster Placement (Children) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996
    • The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000
    • The Gender Recognition (Disclosure of Information) (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Order 2005
    • The Gender Recognition Act 2004
    • The Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts), Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004
    • The Health and Personal Social Services, General Dental Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008
    • The Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978
    • The High-activity Sealed Radioactive Sources and Orphan Sources Regulations 2005
    • The Human Rights Act 1998
    • The Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989
    • The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003
    • The Public Interest Disclosure (Northern Ireland) Order 1998
    • The Public Records Act (Northern Ireland) 1923
    • The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992
    Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on X (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

    Department footer links

    • Crown copyright
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy
    • Cookies
    • Accessibility
    • The Northern Ireland Executive
    • The Executive Office
    • Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
    • Department for Communities
    • Department for Education
    • Department for the Economy
    • Department of Finance
    • Department for Infrastructure
    • Department for Health
    • Department of Justice
    • nidirect.gov.uk — the official government website for Northern Ireland citizens