Sean Humber
Partner
Sean is an experienced human rights lawyer and privacy breach compensation claims specialist
Sean is a partner in the human rights department at Leigh Day. He acts for individuals and groups on a wide range of issues including privacy and data breach claims, human rights, prisoner rights, environmental, discrimination and information law matters.
Data protection & privacy
Sean is an expert in information law matters and is currently acting for clients affected by the unauthorised disclosure of confidential medical information by the Dean Street Clinic, and other cases of alleged misuse of personal information including by TalkTalk, Uber, Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.
He has successfully settled a number of cases, where confidential information, including medical information, was disclosed either deliberately or in error, without the person's knowledge or consent.
Sean Humber's human rights expertise also includes, environmental, discrimination and information law.
- The Legal 500 2017
He has also successfully acted for individuals and campaign groups in cases to the Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal in relation to the failure of public bodies to respond to requests for information under the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act.
Prison law experience
Sean is a recognised expert in prison law matters, including prisoner healthcare and prisoner disability discrimination matters. He has successfully acted for inmates in judicial review challenges and compensation claims for clinical negligence, personal injury, breach of human rights and disability discrimination. He has also acted for prisoners in cases in front of the European Court of Human Rights.
He spoke at a seminar at the House of Lords on prisoner rights, has been short-listed for the Index on Censorship Legal Award for his work on behalf of prisoners and chairs the Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA’s) annual conference on prisoners’ healthcare.
Environmental law experience
Sean is also a recognised expert in environmental matters. Before retraining as a solicitor, Sean obtained a degree in Biochemistry from Oxford University he worked as a research scientist and then as a national campaigner for Friends of the Earth.
He has successfully acted for individuals suffering injuries as a result of their exposure to a variety of toxic substances, for individuals whose land has been damaged by pollution and in judicial review challenges of public bodies for their failure to adequately protect the environment. He has recently acted for residents of a street in London whose properties were flooded by water from a burst water mains. He has also acted for a resident in a judicial review challenge against proposals to fluoridate the drinking water in the Southampton area.
Sean is a former Secretary of the Environment Group of Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, a member of the Law Society's Planning and Environmental Law Committee and the Environmental Law Foundation.
Sean Humber in the news
- MoD fined £350k after disclosing personal details of 265 Afghan aides Army Technology 13.12.23
- Here’s what you need to do after your personal data is breached Telegraph 16.8.23
- South Staffs Water data breach victims may be in line for compensation Express & Star 26.7.23
- Mass hack at BBC, British Airways, Boots and DHL sparks class action lawsuit probe Morning Star 20.7.23
- Capita data breach ‘may affect millions’ Times 3.6.23
- Lawyer in the news: Sean Humber Law Society Gazette 20.5.23
- NHS gender identity clinic discloses email contacts of 2,000 patients Guardian 6.9.19
Accreditations
Chambers and Partners 2026
Related Content
Defence Committee report exposes failures by Ministry of Defence to keep Afghans’ personal data secure and strengthens claims for compensation
Leigh Day partner Sean Humber has called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to take full legal responsibility for the "excruciating failure" of a data breach that affected almost 19,000 Afghans.
Lawyers of data breach victims welcome almost £1 million fine for South Staffs Water over cyber attack affecting more than 600,000 people
Data breach lawyers at Leigh Day have welcomed a £963,900 fine imposed by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) on South Staffordshire Plc and South Staffordshire Water Plc (together South Staffordshire) following a serious cyber-attack which resulted in the personal information of 633,887 customers and employees being published on the dark web.
UK Health Security Agency ordered to disclose information on major E. coli O157 outbreak
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been ordered by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to release more information about a 2022 E. coli outbreak which led to more than 250 infections and at least 77 hospitalisations.