British Columbia’s health sector is mainly governed by two privacy laws. The first is the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) which applies to government bodies including hospitals, health authorities, and clinics. The second is the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) which applies to the private sector offices of doctors and other […]

Your ability to access court records will depend on the court you were attending and the types of charges.   Court files contain many different documents about a legal matter. The public’s access to court files and documents is determined by policies set by the Provincial Court, B.C. Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal. The […]

If access to all or part of the information is refused by a private sector organization in BC, they must tell you the reasons for refusal, the section of Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) that applies, and the contact information of an employee who can answer your questions about the refusal. They must also inform […]

The federal public body must tell you if they do not have the records you requested. If they know that another federal public body has them, they should transfer your request and let you know that it has done so. The new federal public body that received your request must then respond to you within […]

Past employees can request all their work emails, as individuals have a right to their personal information; however, the disclosure of work emails will be subject to several exceptions. The rights and rules around accessing work emails largely depend on whether your previous employer was a private sector organization or a public body, and what […]

BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to empower citizens by increasing their access to information and their control over their own personal information. BC FIPA provides public assistance and public legal education.  BC FIPA cannot and does not provide legal advice.  Introduction  The legislation governing access […]

Reasons for refusal depend on the information you are requesting and from whom. If an information holder refuses your request partially or fully, the information holder must explain the refusal to you.   List of some reasons a request could be refused:  The disclosure would compromise an investigation or law enforcement operation  The disclosure would risk […]

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has reviewed the Passenger Protect Program and has significant concerns about it. The Commissioner has said that the Passenger Protect Program involves the secretive use of personal information. Some problems include:  The process for putting an individual’s name on the list is secretive and not transparent  Individuals are not told […]

The purpose of your request is usually irrelevant; however, it may be necessary for you to prove your identity if you are requesting personal information.   A public body typically has a legal duty to assist individuals requesting information.   If your request doesn’t include enough detail, the organization should work with you to identify what you […]

Since 2001, the Canadian federal government has undertaken a startling number of programs and initiatives requiring the collection and sharing of vast amounts of previously uncollected personal information of Canadians. Many of these programs have been shown to have inaccuracies in the data resulting in demonstrably arbitrary decision-making.  The most recognizable program is the Passenger […]

Private sector organizations generally must give you access to your personal information; however, there are exceptions, which differ depending on whether BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), or the Federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) applies to the organization.  Under PIPA, an organization may refuse to give you access to your personal […]

There is usually no fee for you to request your personal information. In some cases, a fee may apply to general information requests, but you have the right to file a complaint about the fee or request the fee to be waived for justified reasons.   For example, under BC’s Personal Information Protection Act, private sector […]