On June 12, 2020, Québec's then minister of justice,
Sonia LeBel, tabled in the National Assembly
Bill 64, An Act to modernize legislative
provisions as regards the protection of personal
information.
Bill 64's purpose is to modernize Québec's
privacy laws for both the public and private sectors. This new bill
would impose more onerous obligations on employers in the province
and provide the Commission d'accès à
l'information (privacy commission) with increased
powers.
One component of the privacy commission's duties involves
enforcing the Act respecting the protection of personal
information in the private sector (Private Sector Act). As it
currently stands, the privacy commission is capable only of
conducting investigations or inspections and ordering the
corrective measures it deems necessary. Put simply, the privacy
commission cannot impose monetary penalties for noncompliance. It
should be noted that although the privacy commission cannot impose
penalties,
