Understanding Your Rights When Dealing With Law Enforcement

Will my youth criminal record show up on my police record check now that I’m an adult? Can a prospective employer request a police record check on me without my knowledge? How will I know if an institution has disclosed my personal information to a law enforcement agency?  These are some of the questions my office receives from the public about their privacy rights when dealing with law enforcement agencies.

We have developed two fact sheets that answer these frequently asked questions and explain your access and privacy rights —and the obligations of law enforcement agencies —under Ontario’s laws.

Police record checks describes the different types of checks and the information they contain. The fact sheet also explains the police record check process and your rights.

The situations where institutions can share your personal information with a law enforcement agency are described in Release of personal information to police: your privacy rights. This fact sheet answers questions such as:

• What is personal information?
• Can a government organization release my personal information to the police without a warrant or court order?
• What can I do if I believe my personal information has been improperly disclosed to police?

We are here to help. Contact us if you have any questions or concerns about access, correction of personal information or privacy rights.