Happy New Year everyone!
We are pleased to announce that our annual Symposium on the latest advances in Privacy and Access was a great success. The event took place in Ottawa from November 9-10, 2023 and attracted participants from academia, industry and government. The symposium featured keynote speeches, panel discussions led by subject-matter experts on current challenges and opportunities, as well as our popular Canadian and International update sessions and Regulators’ panel. The Symposium showcased the marked shift on the horizon for privacy, access and AI.
We would like to thank all the speakers, panelists, presenters and attendees for their valuable contributions and lively interactions. We hope that the symposium stimulated new ideas and collaborations among the Privacy community. If you missed the event, or want to review the sessions, the recordings are now available! We look forward to seeing you at the next edition of the symposium in 2024!
2024 LAW SERIES
Our Section has exciting webinars comping up. Stay tuned for more details!
LAW STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST
The Section established an annual Law Student Essay Contest with the objectives of promoting interest in Privacy and Access Law topics in Canadian law schools and participation by Canadian law students in the Privacy and Access Law Section.
The submission deadline for this year’s contest is May 2, 2024. Details on the contest criteria and eligibility are available.
ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS
The Section has been busy participating in various advocacy initiatives including the following contributions:
END OF LIFE WORKING GROUP
In October 2023, the Working Group commented on Bill S-248, a private Senate bill on Advance Requests for Medical Assistance in Dying. In a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, the Working Group said that Bill S-248 is a strong and thoughtful approach to introducing Advance Requests. The submission reiterates earlier comments and recommendations to establish a legal framework for Advance Requests. In November 2023, the Working Group Chair appeared before the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying to discuss delays for MAiD where mental illness is the sole underlying condition. The Working Group Chair reiterated earlier written submissions on MAiD and mental illness.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
We encourage you to bring your insights, experience and passion to our Section’s activities. Besides attending the annual Symposium or one upcoming Law Series webinars, you can submit a member article to be published on our webpage, or participate in our advocacy work. If you want to get involved or have suggestions, please contact us.
Thank you,
CBA Privacy and Access Law Section Executive