On October 30, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) granted a six-month extension which will allow the Government of Alberta to make amendments to the Personal Information Protection Act, 2003 (PIPA).
On November 15, 2013, the SCC issued its decision in Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner) v. United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 401 (UFCW), ruling that Alberta’s PIPA is unconstitutional and declared it invalid. The ruling provided 12 months for the Government of Alberta to bring PIPA in line with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Yesterday’s decision was welcomed by Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner Jill Clayton who noted in a letter sent to Alberta’s Premier, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, and Minister of Service Alberta dated September 22, 2014 that, “If PIPA is allowed to lapse, Alberta’s citizens and businesses will lose the unique benefits afforded by the legislation, including: mandatory breach reporting and notification to affected individuals, local enforcement without court involvement, and protection for the access and privacy rights of employees of provincially-regulated private sector businesses.”