Section 12 — Privacy Act: Right of access

Subject to this Act, every individual who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act has a right to and shall, on request, be given access to any personal information about the individual contained in a personal information bank; and any other personal information about the individual under the control of a government institution with respect to which the individual is able to provide sufficiently specific information on the location of the information as to render it reasonably retrievable by the government institution. Every individual who is given access under paragraph (1)(a) to personal information that has been used, is being used or is available for use for an administrative purpose is entitled to request correction of the personal information where the individual believes there is an error or omission therein; require that a notation be attached to the information reflecting any correction requested but not made; and require that any person or body to whom that information has been disclosed for use for an administrative purpose within two years prior to the time a correction is requested or a notation is required under this subsection in respect of that information be notified of the correction or notation, and where the disclosure is to a government institution, the institution make the correction or notation on any copy of the information under its control. The Governor in Council may, by order, extend the right to be given access to personal information under subsection (1) to include individuals not referred to in that subsection and may set such conditions as the Governor in Council deems appropriate.