Privacy policy
The purpose of this Policy is to explain the way the Centre d’accès à l’information juridique (the “CAIJ” or “we“) collects, uses, and communicates the personal information of individuals who use CAIJ services, as well as to highlight the rights concerning personal information and the means of asserting these rights.
By using our Services, you consent to the collection, use, communication, retention and destruction of your personal information in accordance with the terms of this Policy and applicable laws.
The purpose of this Policy is to meet the requirements relating to the collection, use and communication of personal information, in accordance with the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (chapter P-39.1).
1. Scope of application
The Privacy Policy applies to users (also referred to as “you“, “your” or “yours“) benefiting from the following services offered by the CAIJ:
- Websites operated by the CAIJ, including Espace CAIJ and Mon CAIJ, as well as other CAIJ digital platforms (collectively, the “Website”),
- the CAIJ library network, and CAIJ Card users,
- subscription and newsletter services,
- registration for CAIJ training courses and events.
This Privacy Policy also applies when we carry out targeted digital advertising, including advertising based on your points of interest, and when we use browser cookies.
Our Website may contain hyperlinks to third-party sites that may cause you to leave the Website. The CAIJ provides these hyperlinks for your convenience. Third-party sites are not under the control of the CAIJ. The CAIJ therefore has no control over the privacy and confidentiality practices of third-party sites. Consequently, any personal information transmitted through third-party sites is not covered by this Privacy Policy but is subject to the Privacy Policy of these third-party sites. It is the responsibility of users to be aware of these policies to ensure the protection of their personal information.
We also collect information transmitted by social networking sites or applications (such as LinkedIn and YouTube) when a visitor interacts with profiles owned or controlled by the CAIJ on these social networking platforms. These sites or applications are governed by privacy policies that may differ from ours and may also be applicable. If you decide to interact with us through these social media platforms, you should first read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and the applications used to access them.
2. Personal information
Personal information
Personal information is information about a natural person that allows that person to be identified, directly or indirectly. Personal information is confidential information.
The tools offered by the CAIJ are not designed to preserve a degree of confidentiality specific to professional secrecy. Website users should not use its functionalities to communicate or store information protected by professional secrecy.
3. Collection of personal information and purposes of collection
As part of the delivery of our Services, we must collect certain personal information.
The CAIJ only collects personal information that is necessary for the conduct of its activities and in accordance with the identified purposes of the collection.
The CAIJ may also collect personal information from third parties, such as its partners and service providers. For example, certain individuals benefit from Services offered by the CAIJ under agreements between the CAIJ and certain organizations, including the Barreau du Québec, the Chambre des notaires du Québec, the École du Barreau du Québec, judicial councils and universities. In order to provide these individuals with access to CAIJ services, these organizations send the CAIJ certain information about these individuals, including their last name, first name and e-mail address. CAIJ subcontractors may send the CAIJ reports on the use of services provided through the Website. We collect personal information that you voluntarily and directly provide to us through the Website interface (e.g., by filling out a form) or otherwise (e.g., by e-mail or regular mail).
The following table describes the personal information collected directly from you and the purposes for which it is collected:
| Purpose of collection | Personal information that may be collected |
| Supply CAIJ products and services to CAIJ members | – Full name – Professional e-mail address – CAIJ card number – Business telephone number – Professional home address – Your orders placed with the CAIJ, including loans and reservations – Training courses taken via the Website – The balance on your CAIJ Card and transactions carried out using your CAIJ Card – Any information sent to the CAIJ through the Website, by chat, e-mail or telephone |
| Communicating with you and responding to all your requests | – Full name – Professional e-mail address – CAIJ card number – Business telephone number |
| Improve the performance and security of the Website | – The IP address used to access the Website – The configuration of the browser and operating system – The configuration of the mobile device, when accessing the Website from a mobile device – Geographical location and location data – The pages visited, the products viewed, the path taken on the Website – The keywords used during a search – The date and time of the visit – Behavioural analysis – Any information sent to the CAIJ via the Website, by chat, by e-mail, by telephone or through a survey |
| Proceed to payment for Services | We do not collect any payment information. When information is submitted by form, payments are processed directly by the CAIJ’s financial institution, Desjardins, which alone has access to secure payment information and which complies with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requirements. |
| To personalize and optimise the user experience on the Website | – The IP address used to access the Website – The configuration of the browser and operating system – The configuration of the mobile device, when accessing the Website from a mobile device – Geographical location and location data – The pages visited, the products viewed and the path taken on the Website – The keywords used during a search – Date and time of visit |
| To improve our services and functionalities | – The IP address used to access the Website – The type of device used – The configuration of the browser and operating system – The configuration of the mobile device, when accessing the Website from a mobile device – Geographical location and location data – The pages visited, the products viewed, the path taken on the Website – The keywords used during a search – Date and time of visits – Behavioural analysis |
4. Information relating to browser cookies
We use browser cookies to improve the performance of the Website, to quantify the number of visits to our site, to authenticate authorized users and to analyse and define our members’ centres of interest in order to better personalize our services and content.
It is normally possible for you to control the storage of cookies using the options offered by your web browser. Deactivating certain cookies could affect the quality of your browsing or make certain functionalities of our Website unavailable.
The use of cookies is required for user authentication. Unless a user has already provided information about themselves (for example by activating a service linked to a user account) from their mobile device or computer, cookies do not allow them to be identified directly.
You can manage your cookie preferences via your browser, by uninstalling and blocking certain cookies. Click on your browser below for instructions. You can withdraw your consent to the use of cookies at any time by managing your preferences. Some features may require cookies for security purposes.
You can install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Extension, which prevents Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visitor activity. For more information on Google’s confidentiality practices, please consult the Google Confidentiality & Conditions page.
5. Retention of personal information
Duration
The CAIJ retains your personal information for as long as necessary to achieve the purposes identified at the time of collection or when you close your user account. However, the retention period for personal information may be extended even after the purposes have been achieved, in particular for legal or regulatory reasons. At the end of this period, the information will be deleted or made anonymous.
In the event that your personal information has been provided to us by your professional order, the retention period will depend on the procedure for withdrawing your information by your professional order. We invite you to contact them for more details on the procedure and approximate deadlines or to withdraw your personal information from the CAIJ.
Location
Depending on the nature of the personal information, it may be stored at the CAIJ or with service providers. Your personal information is stored in Quebec. However, our suppliers may be located outside the province, or even outside the country. The CAIJ takes reasonable measures to ensure that such service providers commit to treat personal information held by the CAIJ in accordance with this Policy and applicable law.
6. Protection of personal information
The security and protection of personal information are important to the CAIJ. Although it is impossible to guarantee 100% protection, the CAIJ has adopted measures that meet recognized security standards to ensure privacy and the protection of personal information.
The CAIJ implements reasonable technical, contractual, administrative and physical measures to protect your personal information against confidentiality incidents, including secure exchange encryption, when required to limit the risks of interception, loss or modification related to unencrypted electronic communications.
The CAIJ also enters into agreements with its service providers to ensure that: (i) information is kept strictly confidential, (ii) information is not disclosed to any third party without prior authorization, and (iii) security measures are in place to protect information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, communication, copying, use or modification. For example, the security of your online payment transactions is ensured through the use of suppliers, so that your transactions are routed and processed securely in compliance with the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).
We comply with the SOC 2 standard, a recognised audit standard that assesses controls for security, availability, integrity of processing, confidentiality and protection of personal information. Compliance with the SOC 2 standard demonstrates our commitment to protecting your personal information and ensuring the confidentiality and security of your data.
7. Communication of personal information
Unless explicitly mentioned in the table below or through a clear notice to that effect, personal information collected by the CAIJ is not sold, distributed, rented or communicated to other persons or organizations.
| CAIJ staff and other users |
| Personal information collected by the CAIJ is accessible by certain employees who must access it as part of their duties and in accordance with the use set out in this Policy. These individuals are bound by this Policy and agree to use personal information collected by the CAIJ only in accordance with this Policy. |
| Service providers |
| Some personal information is also communicated to other individuals or organizations that are CAIJ service providers. In such cases, these persons or organizations undertake to maintain the confidentiality of personal information and to use it exclusively to fulfil their mandate with us. For example, we use HotJar or Google Analytics to collect browser cookies. Although we do not directly transmit personal information to services such as Google Analytics, they may have access to your personal information. |
| Restructuring |
| In the event that a restructuring or sale of the business operated by the CAIJ is contemplated, we may communicate the information collected to persons or organizations involved before and after this transaction, whether or not it goes through. In such a case, we require that these persons or organizations undertake to preserve the confidentiality of the personal information communicated and to use it exclusively for the purposes of this transaction or subsequent thereto and in accordance with this Policy. |
| Legal requirements |
| We may also communicate collected personal information to other persons or organizations if a competent authority orders us to do so under applicable law or if applicable law expressly permits such communication, even without the consent of the person concerned. The CAIJ may communicate certain personal information when such communication is deemed reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property and safety of third parties as well as those of the CAIJ or to ensure compliance with users’ obligations towards the CAIJ. |
| Aggregated and anonymised information |
| We may communicate aggregated and anonymised information obtained from personal information to other persons or organisations. In such cases, we take reasonable steps to ensure that this information does not identify any particular individual. |
8. Your rights regarding your personal information
You have fundamental rights when it comes to your personal information.
Here are some examples of rights you may have. If you require further information, please contact our Privacy Officer to clarify your rights:
- Right to be informed about the collection, use and communication of your Personal Information.
- The right to access your Personal Information and to know its origin.
- The right to rectify inaccurate or obsolete Personal Information.
- The right to erase your Personal Information. Please note that this right is not absolute and is subject to specific situations.
- Right to data portability or right to request a copy of your Personal Information.
- Right to withdraw consent previously given for the processing of your Personal Information, as appropriate.
- Withdrawal of consent could limit the CAIJ’s ability to offer you certain products or services, prevent the CAIJ from providing them to you, or even require the CAIJ to cease offering them to you. Furthermore, even in the event of the withdrawal of such consent, under the law, the CAIJ may nevertheless have the right or obligation to maintain the retention, use or disclosure of certain personal information.
- Right to request further information on automated processing (i.e., decisions taken with your data based solely on automated decision-making or profiling).
Access to personal information
Some of the personal information we hold about you is accessible through the Website and may be modified by you or your professional order. Subject to exceptions provided for by law and specific agreements between the CAIJ and professional orders, you may authenticate yourself and access your personal information, or ask us or your professional order to make corrections, if applicable, by writing to us at the following address:
Centre d’accès à l’information juridique
c/o Privacy Officer
480, boul. Saint-Laurent, bureau 503
Montréal (Québec)
H2Y 3Y7
1-844-596-CAIJ (2245)
Or at vieprivee@caij.qc.ca.
All written requests will be answered within 30 days of receipt, when possible. Charges may apply for requests that are excessive, repetitive, complex, voluminous, or simply involve additional supply costs for particular requests.
We may verify the identity of a person wishing to access personal information. The information provided for such verification will not be recorded or used for any other purpose.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you update your personal information, such as your contact details, with the CAIJ or your professional order.
9. Undesirable messages
We comply with current legislation on unwanted electronic messages (spam). If you no longer wish to receive electronic communications from us or if you consider that you have received an inappropriate or undesirable communication, please follow the unsubscribe mechanism found in CAIJ electronic messages or unsubscribe to e-mail mailings via My CAIJ Settings.
However, we can still contact our users regarding their orders, requests for information or personal information, in accordance with applicable laws.
10. Changes to the Policy
This Policy may be amended to reflect changes in our personal information collection, use and communication practices or changes in the laws applicable to us. We encourage you to check this Policy regularly for changes.
11. Questions, comments, suggestions or complaints
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this Policy or our privacy practices, you can contact our Privacy Officer at:
1-844-596-CAIJ (2245) or per e-mail at vieprivee@caij.qc.ca.
You may file a complaint with the CAIJ if you feel that the CAIJ is not complying with its obligations to protect confidential information. The CAIJ will investigate the complaint and, if it is justified, will take the appropriate measures to correct the situation or refer you to the appropriate resources.