Privacy Policy

1.1:This Privacy Policy (the "Policy") explains how Sameera Alhammadi Forensic Medicine Consultancy LLC (سميرة الحمادي لاستشارات الطب الشرعي ش ذ م م) ("SAHM", "we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, shares, protects and retains personal data when you visit the website sahmed.ae (the "Website"), contact us, book an Initial Consultation, upload documents, or receive our Services.

1.2:SAHM is a limited liability company licensed in the Emirate of Dubai by the Department of Economy and Tourism under trade licence no. 1653591, with its head office at Office 320-101, Property of Abdullah Mohammed Amin Al Abdullah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and with a branch in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi licensed by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. SAHM decides how and why your personal data is processed and is responsible for it.

1.3:This Policy should be read together with our Website Terms and Conditions (the "Terms"). Words defined in the Terms, such as "Client", "Engagement", "Engagement Letter", "Initial Consultation", "Professional", "Report" and "Services", have the same meaning in this Policy.

1.4:SAHM processes personal data in accordance with the applicable laws of the United Arab Emirates, including, to the extent that they apply, Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data, Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 on the Use of Information and Communications Technology in Health Fields, and the requirements of the competent health authorities.

2.1:In this Policy, the following words have the meanings set out below:

"Data Subject" means the natural person to whom personal data relates. In forensic and medico-legal matters, this may be the Client, a patient, a deceased person, a relative or another person connected with the matter.

"Health Information" means personal data relating to the physical or mental health of a person, including medical records, clinical documentation, examination findings, imaging, laboratory results, post-mortem findings and related reports.

"Personal Data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

"Processing" means any operation performed on personal data, including its collection, recording, storage, use, disclosure, transfer and deletion.

3.1:Information you give us directly:

(a) identity and contact details, such as your name, telephone number and email address and, for organisations, your job title and organisation;

(b) identification details, such as Emirates ID or passport details, where they are required for an Engagement or by a competent authority;

(c) the content of your enquiries, including contact forms, emails and WhatsApp messages;

(d) booking details, such as the type, date and time of an Initial Consultation, and the record of your acceptance of the Terms;

(e) case information and documents that you upload or send to us, which may include Health Information and information about other persons;

(f) payment information, such as the amount paid, the date and the transaction reference; and

(g) any other information you choose to provide during an Initial Consultation or an Engagement.

3.2:Card details are entered directly into the system of our third-party payment service provider. SAHM does not receive or store your full card number or security code.

3.3:Information collected automatically: when you visit the Website, we and our service providers may collect technical information, such as your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you visit, the date and time of your visit and the referring website. Clause 11 explains how we use cookies.

3.4:Information from third parties: in the course of an Engagement, we may receive personal data from lawyers, insurers, employers, healthcare facilities, courts, public prosecution, police, other competent authorities or other experts, where they are entitled to share it with us.

3.5:Information about other persons: forensic and medico-legal matters often involve information about persons other than the Client, including patients, deceased persons, their relatives and other parties to a dispute. Where you provide such information, you confirm that you are entitled to do so, as set out in clause 12.2 of the Terms.

4.1:SAHM treats Health Information as sensitive data and gives it a higher level of protection.

4.2:Health Information is processed through the Website only where you give separate, express consent at the time of submission, as stated in clause 12.3 of the Terms, or where its processing is otherwise permitted or required by law, including to initiate, exercise or defend legal claims, or under the appointment of a court or other competent authority.

4.3:Access to Health Information is restricted to the Professionals and staff who need it to perform the Services and who are bound by confidentiality obligations.

4.4:Health Information is used only for the Initial Consultation or Engagement for which it was provided, and for related legal and professional obligations. It is not used for any unrelated purpose.

4.5:SAHM does not use identifiable case information in training, teaching or publications without written consent.

5.1:We use personal data to:

(a) respond to enquiries and communicate with you;

(b) carry out conflict of interest checks before accepting an Engagement;

(c) book, confirm, reschedule and conduct Initial Consultations, and process payments and refunds;

(d) prepare Engagement Letters and provide the Services, including preparing Reports and giving evidence;

(e) issue invoices and keep financial and accounting records;

(f) comply with our legal, regulatory and professional obligations, including record-keeping and requests from courts and competent authorities;

(g) handle complaints and initiate, exercise or defend legal rights; and

(h) operate, maintain, secure and improve the Website, and prevent fraud and misuse.

5.2:We process personal data on one or more of the grounds permitted by applicable law, including: (a) your consent; (b) where processing is necessary to perform a contract with you, or to take steps at your request before entering into one; (c) where it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation; and (d) where it is necessary to initiate, exercise or defend legal claims, or relates to judicial proceedings.

5.3:Where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out before it. It may mean that we cannot continue a Service, and it does not affect records that we are required by law to keep.

5.4:SAHM does not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing.

6.1:SAHM does not sell, rent or trade personal data.

6.2:We may share personal data, only to the extent necessary, with:

(a) Professionals engaged by SAHM for the matter, who are bound by confidentiality obligations;

(b) service providers acting on our behalf, such as website hosting, secure storage, booking, payment, email and IT support providers, who are bound by contractual confidentiality and security obligations;

(c) licensed healthcare facilities, laboratories and imaging providers, where needed to perform the Services;

(d) courts, arbitral tribunals, public prosecution, police, health authorities and other competent authorities, where required by law or by an order, or where a Report is submitted in accordance with an Engagement;

(e) persons you authorise, such as your lawyers or insurers;

(f) our professional advisers, auditors and insurers, in confidence; and

(g) any other person, where reasonably necessary to initiate, exercise or defend our legal rights.

7.1:The Website is hosted in the United Arab Emirates, and documents uploaded through the Website are stored on servers located in the United Arab Emirates.

7.2:SAHM does not store, process or transfer Health Information outside the United Arab Emirates, except as permitted by applicable law.

7.3:Some service providers, such as email, messaging and payment providers, may process limited personal data that is not Health Information outside the United Arab Emirates. Where this happens, SAHM takes reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer is permitted by applicable law and that the data is adequately protected.

7.4:Messages sent by WhatsApp or ordinary email pass through the servers of third-party providers, which may be located outside the United Arab Emirates. For this reason, please do not send medical records or other sensitive documents through these channels, as stated in clause 12.6 of the Terms.

8.1:SAHM takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or alteration. These include access controls, secure upload and storage in the United Arab Emirates, encryption of data in transit where supported, and confidentiality obligations for staff, Professionals and service providers.

8.2:No method of transmission over the internet or of electronic storage is completely secure, and SAHM cannot guarantee absolute security.

8.3:If SAHM becomes aware of a breach of personal data that is likely to affect the privacy or rights of a Data Subject, it will notify the competent authority and the affected persons, where and as required by law.

9.1:SAHM keeps personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, and for any longer period required by law or by our professional obligations.

9.2:In particular:

(a) enquiries that do not lead to an Initial Consultation or an Engagement are generally kept for up to two years from our last communication, unless they are needed for longer;

(b) case records and Health Information are kept for the period required by applicable law. Where Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 applies, this period is not less than 25 years from the date of the last procedure; and

(c) financial and accounting records are kept for the period required by commercial and tax laws.

9.3:At the end of the applicable retention period, personal data is securely deleted, anonymised or returned, as appropriate.

10.1:Subject to the conditions and exceptions set out in applicable law, you have the right to:

(a) obtain information about how your personal data is processed;

(b) access your personal data and obtain a copy of it;

(c) request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;

(d) request the erasure of your personal data;

(e) request that processing be restricted;

(f) object to processing;

(g) receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format and have it transferred to another person, where technically feasible; and

(h) withdraw your consent at any time, where processing is based on consent.

10.2:Some of these rights may be limited, for example where SAHM is required by law to keep records, where the processing relates to judicial proceedings or to the instructions of a court or competent authority, or where granting the request would affect the rights of other persons, including other persons whose information appears in a case file.

10.3:To exercise any of these rights, please email Ahmed@sahfmc.com. We may ask you to verify your identity and, where you act for another person or for a deceased person, your legal authority to do so. We aim to respond within 30 days, and we will inform you if we need longer because of the complexity of the request.

10.4:If you are not satisfied with our response, you may use the complaints procedure in clause 17 of the Terms. This does not affect your right to submit a complaint to the UAE Data Office or to any other competent authority.

11.1:Cookies are small files placed on your device when you visit a website.

11.2:The Website uses essential cookies that are needed for it to function, such as cookies that support security, the booking and payment process and your language preference. These cookies do not require your consent.

11.3:The Website may also use analytics cookies or similar technologies to understand how visitors use it. Where it does, they are used only with your consent, obtained through a cookie banner or settings tool on the Website, which also lists the cookies in use.

11.4:SAHM does not currently use advertising cookies. If it decides to use them, it will update this Policy and obtain your consent before using them.

11.5:You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the Website, including booking and payment, from working properly.

12.1:The Website is not directed at persons under 18 years of age. Initial Consultations and Engagements must be booked by an adult, or by a parent, legal guardian or other authorised representative.

12.2:Where the Services relate to a minor or to a person who lacks legal capacity, their personal data, including Health Information, is processed on the instructions or with the consent of their parent, legal guardian or legal representative, or as required by a court or competent authority, and with additional care.

13.1:Where the Services relate to a deceased person, SAHM treats that person's Health Information and case records with the same confidentiality and security as those of living persons, and discloses them only to persons entitled to receive them under applicable law.

14.1:The Website uses third-party services, such as payment processing, booking tools and WhatsApp. These providers process personal data under their own privacy policies and terms, which we encourage you to read.

14.2:The Website may contain links to third-party websites. SAHM is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of websites that it does not control.

15.1:SAHM does not use personal data for marketing purposes and does not send newsletters or promotional messages. We contact you only about your enquiry, booking or Engagement, or where required by law.

15.2:If SAHM decides in future to send marketing communications, it will do so only with your prior consent, and every such communication will include a simple way to unsubscribe.

16.1:SAHM may update this Policy from time to time. The version number and effective date are shown at the top of this Policy. Material changes will be published on the Website before they take effect.

17.1:This Policy is issued in Arabic and English. If there is any inconsistency between the two versions, the Arabic version prevails.

Sameera Alhammadi Forensic Medicine Consultancy LLC

Head office: Office 320-101, Property of Abdullah Mohammed Amin Al Abdullah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Email (including privacy requests and complaints): Ahmed@sahfmc.com

Telephone: +971 56 101 9999

Website: sahmed.ae