Author: Clicklaw Editor

Client Data and Privacy Laws for Small Organizations Event

The broader context

The BC Civil Liberties Association and the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association held an event on January 22nd titled “Privacy Issues Facing Small Organizations”. This informative breakfast workshop described the basics that small organizations need to know about client data privacy laws, such as:

  • Good privacy policy creates and maintains trust with your clients. Clients need to know what level of confidentiality you can offer.
  • Valid consent includes both express and implied.
  • Your clients have the legal right to withdraw consent at any point, even after it has been given, and even if it will effect service provision.
  • The Personal Information Protection Act protects your right to collect, use, and disclose client information, but also places limits on how and to what extent those practices occur.
  • Once you collect data from your clients, it is in your control, even if it is not in your custody. You are responsible for data disposal. If you use a 3rd party data storage provider, then you need to know how secure the data is.
  • The Information and Privacy Commissioner of B.C. oversees compliance with provincial privacy laws.
  • A paper titled “BC Civil Liberties Association’s Online Communications Strategy” was distributed. Further resources are available at the Clicklaw topic Privacy & access to information.

Newly designed publications from Legal Services Society

New on Clicklaw

Having commissioned a report called Public Legal Education and Information Resources Accessibility Initiative last year, our contributor Legal Services Society has taken steps to improve readability of their publications.

Their revised publications, which feature an attractive new design and an easy-to-read format, are now available via Clicklaw:

  • Representing Yourself in a Criminal Trial – a booklet on what can happen when an accused person pleads not guilty to a summary offence. It includes a checklist to guide the accused through a trial, flow charts of court process before and at the trial, and a sample letter to Crown counsel.
  • If You Are Charged with a Crime – a brochure on what happens if someone is charged with a criminal offence, including the court process, dealing with a lawyer, and getting legal aid or other legal help.
  • Defending Yourself: Theft Under $5,000 – a booklet on how to defend yourself if you are charged with theft under $5,000. It includes a new flowchart that shows when various LSS publications can help at each stage of the criminal court process.