GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018: Legal framework governing personal data handling. Must ensure lawful and transparent processing of student information, obtain necessary consent, include only relevant information, and respect student's right to access the letter contents.
Equality Act 2010: Legislation ensuring non-discrimination. Recommendation letters must avoid discriminatory language, cannot make statements based on protected characteristics, and must provide fair and objective assessment.
Education Act 1996: Primary legislation providing framework for educational records and references. Ensures accuracy and proper handling of academic information in educational context.
Freedom of Information Act 2000: Legislation particularly relevant for public institutions. Governs information access rights and may affect student's ability to request access to recommendation letters.
Defamation Act 2013: Legal framework protecting against false statements. Ensures recommendation letters contain truthful statements, avoid potentially libelous content, and maintain factual accuracy.
Institutional Policies: While not legislation, must consider specific university/institution policies regarding writing and handling student references.
Professional Guidelines: Non-legislative requirements including professional body guidelines, academic integrity standards, and duty of care principles that govern recommendation letter writing.
