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Privacy Commissioner launches handbook to help lawyers apply privacy law to their practices
Halifax, August 16, 2011— PIPEDA and Your Practice — A Privacy Handbook for Lawyers was launched by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at the Canadian Bar Association Canadian Legal Conference and Expo 2011. The new handbook explains how the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) relates to the everyday practice of Canadian lawyers in the private sector.
PIPEDA covers the collection, use and disclosure of personal information in the course of commercial activities. Like other organizations in Canada, lawyers and law firms must comply with the requirements of applicable privacy legislation in their jurisdictions.
"While lawyers may be familiar with privacy laws in general, they may benefit from some concrete guidance on how to apply the laws to their own practice," says Patricia Kosseim, General Counsel for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. "Canadian lawyers have a leadership opportunity to serve as exemplars of ethical and respectful conduct on behalf of their profession and the clients they serve."
Written by lawyers for lawyers, PIPEDA and Your Practice - A Privacy Handbook for Lawyers describes best practices in managing the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, responding to requests for access to personal information, and the potential application of PIPEDA. The Handbook covers practical privacy issues that arise in the course of managing a law firm and conducting litigation.
The handbook is available on the Privacy Commissioner’s website: PIPEDAhandbookforlawyers.priv.gc.ca.
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is mandated by Parliament to act as an ombudsman and guardian of privacy in Canada. The Commissioner enforces two federal laws for the protection of personal information: the Privacy Act, which applies to the federal public sector; and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), which applies to commercial activities in the Atlantic provinces, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Territories. Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia each has its own law covering the private sector. Even in these provinces, PIPEDA continues to apply to the federally regulated private sector and to personal information in interprovincial and international transactions.
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For more information, please contact:
Anne-Marie Hayden
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Tel: (613) 995-0103
E-mail: Anne-Marie.Hayden@priv.gc.ca
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