Copies of the electoral register have
been available for purchase by the private sector since 1832. In November
2001, that long running practice ceased due to the decision of the Court
in Robertson’s case. The High Court held that the rights contained
in the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act
1998 meant a voter must be able to register to vote without his
details being included in the version of the electoral register that was
able to be sold. The decision was not popular with the private sector as
it used the electoral register for a variety of purposes including direct
marketing and credit referencing.
In mid July, 2002 the UK government passed regulations which will again
allow access to the electoral register. The new regulations provide for
two registers known as the "full register" and the "edited register". The
"full register" will contain the details of all
