Customers, clients, employees, courts and governments have become increasingly concerned with the manner in which organizations handle personal information. For some time now government departments and municipalities have been subject to access and privacy legislation. In Nova Scotia, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Municipal Government Act and the Federal Privacy Act and Access to Information Act may apply. The most recent legislative initiative to extend privacy rights is the Federal Government's enactment of the Personal Information Protection and Electronics Documents Act (PIPEDA). While federal works and interprovincial activities have been caught by this Act since 2001, as of January 1, 2004, PIPEDA governs all organizations that collect, use, and disclose personal information in the course of a commercial activity, including those operating solely within provincial borders.
The Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales' (SMSS) Privacy Group includes lawyers who possess diverse areas of expertise. We provide advice on how federal and provincial public and private sector privacy law and freedom of information legislation may impact the following areas of your business:
- Financial Services
- Intellectual Property
- Labour and Employment
- Health
- Corporate Commercial
- Litigation
The Group assists and advises clients on the creation and implementation of privacy procedures and policies. We also advise and represent clients that are subject to privacy complaints and are involved in privacy related litigation before arbitrators, government tribunals, or courts.
The SMSS Privacy Group works with individuals, corporate, government, and not-for-profit organizations of all sizes to ensure that they meet their ever-changing and emerging privacy obligations in a cost- effective and practical manner.