The Personal Information Protection Act (“the Act”) regulates the way private sector organizations within British Columbia collect, use, keep, secure and disclose personal information. “Personal Information” means all information about an identifiable individual. We recognize the importance of privacy and recognize the sensitivity of personal information received by us in the course of our legal practice.
We recognize our professional obligation to maintain the confidentiality of our clients’ information, and recognize our obligations concerning the personal information of all individuals that we collect, use or disclose in our practice. This policy has been developed with those obligations in mind.
In order to be able to give legal advice to our clients, we need access to all relevant facts and information that relate to our retainer and to the representation of our clients. This information will necessarily include personal information about our clients and about individuals other than our clients.
Where practical, we endeavour to collect personal information directly from the person to whom the information pertains. When necessary, we will collect personal information from other sources.
By retaining this firm for legal advice or representation, an individual consents to our necessary collection, use or disclosure of the individual’s personal information in order to properly advise and represent the individual. Such consent shall include the disclosure of personal information to a cloud services provider for the purposes of data storage and in accordance with all applicable legislation and current industry standards.
It is our policy to collect personal information about individuals other than our clients in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
The Act deems that an individual has consented to our collection, use or disclosure of personal information about that individual if, at the time the consent is deemed to be given, the purpose would be considered obvious to a reasonable person. In such circumstances, we will collect, use or disclose personal information without obtaining a written or verbal consent to do so.
The Act also permits us to collect, use or disclose personal information about an individual in some circumstances without the individual’s consent. Those include (but are not limited to) circumstances in which:
When we collect, use or disclose personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to ensure that it is accurate and complete.
We recognize our professional and legal obligations to protect the confidential information of our clients. We recognize as well our legal obligations to protect the personal information we have gathered about our clients and about other individuals during the course of our practice of law.
We have therefore made arrangements to secure against the unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal or destruction of personal information. These arrangements include contracting only with cloud services providers that are based in Canada and store all data at verifiably secure locations which meet or exceed industry standards.
The Act permits individuals to submit written requests to us to provide them with:
We will respond to requests in the time allowed by the Act and will make a reasonable effort to assist applicants and to respond as accurately and completely as reasonably possible. All requests may be subject to any fees and disbursements the law permits us to charge.
An individual’s ability to access his or her personal information under our control is not absolute. The Act provides that we must not disclose personal information when:
The Act further provides that we are not required to disclose personal information when:
The law permits individuals to submit written requests to us to correct errors or omissions in their personal information that is in our custody or control. We will:
If you have any questions with respect to our policies concerning the handling of your personal information, or if you wish to request access to, or correction of, your personal information under our care and control, please contact our Privacy Officer by email at privacyofficer@boughtonlaw.com or by mail at:
Boughton Law Corporation
Suite 700 – 595 Burrard Street
P.O. Box 49290
Vancouver, BC V7X 1S8
Attention: Privacy Officer
If you are dissatisfied with our handling of your personal information, we invite you to contact our Privacy Officer in writing, setting out the reasons for your concern. If, after our Privacy Officer has reviewed and responded to your concern, you remain dissatisfied, you may wish to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner at:
P.O. Box 9038, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria; BC V8W 9A4
Telephone: 250.387.5629
Fax: 250.387.1696