1. Overview
This Privacy Policy explains how Criminal Code Help, operated by Crime Codex Inc., collects, uses, discloses, stores, and protects personal information.
In this Policy, "CCH," "we," "us," and "our" refer to Criminal Code Help and Crime Codex Inc. "Site" means criminalcodehelp.ca and related Criminal Code Help website features.
This Policy applies to visitors, people who contact us, people who submit concerns or corrections, and lawyers or legal professionals who claim, create, update, or manage directory profiles.
2. Privacy Officer
Responsibility for this Privacy Policy and privacy compliance rests with our Privacy Officer.
Privacy contact: privacy@criminalcodehelp.ca
Fallback contact: support@criminalcodehelp.ca
3. What Personal Information Means
"Personal information" means information about an identifiable individual. This may include a name, email address, phone number, IP address, message content, or information submitted through a form.
Business contact information, such as a lawyer's public business address, public business phone number, public business email address, law firm name, title, website, and similar professional information, may be treated differently under applicable privacy laws when used for business-contact purposes.
Aggregated or anonymized information that cannot reasonably identify an individual is not treated as personal information.
4. Information We Collect Automatically
When you visit the Site, our server may automatically collect technical information, including:
- IP address;
- browser type and version;
- device information;
- date and time of visit;
- pages viewed;
- entry and exit pages;
- referring website; and
- error, security, and diagnostic logs.
We use this information for security, troubleshooting, fraud and spam prevention, performance monitoring, and to understand site usage in aggregate.
Server logs are usually retained for approximately 90 days unless a longer period is required for security, legal, or operational reasons.
5. Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager
The Site uses Google Analytics 4, implemented through Google Tag Manager, to understand how visitors use the Site.
Google Analytics may collect usage information such as pages visited, session duration, device type, browser, approximate geographic location, and referring sources. We do not use Google Analytics to identify named visitors.
Google may process analytics information on servers outside Canada, including in the United States or other countries. Google's handling of analytics information is governed by Google's own terms and privacy documentation.
CCH configures Google Analytics data retention for approximately 14 months, unless changed in the analytics account settings.
6. Google reCAPTCHA
The Site may use Google reCAPTCHA on forms to help detect spam, abuse, and automated submissions.
When reCAPTCHA runs, Google may collect information about your device, browser, IP address, and interaction with the Site. This information may be processed outside Canada and is governed by Google's terms and privacy documentation.
7. Cookies
Cookies are small files placed on your device by your browser.
CCH uses cookies and similar technologies for:
- analytics and usage measurement;
- security and spam prevention;
- remembering directory location preferences, including selected city and province; and
- basic site functionality.
CCH may use preference cookies such as CityID and ProvinceID to remember your selected location when browsing the lawyer directory.
You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some features of the Site.
8. Information You Provide Through Forms or Email
You may voluntarily provide personal information when you:
- contact us;
- submit a report about an inaccuracy or concern;
- claim, create, or update a lawyer profile;
- request support;
- subscribe to a future newsletter; or
- otherwise communicate with us.
This information may include your name, email address, phone number, message content, profile information, law firm information, professional photograph, and any other information you choose to provide.
Please do not send confidential details about your own legal matter through general website forms. Criminal Code Help does not provide legal advice and does not act for website users.
9. Report-an-Inaccuracy or Concern Form
When you submit a report-an-inaccuracy or concern form, CCH may collect:
- the page URL;
- your message;
- any source or explanation you provide;
- your IP address;
- your browser or user-agent string;
- the referring page URL; and
- the date and time of submission.
We use this information to review editorial concerns, investigate possible errors, prevent abuse, and maintain site integrity.
Technical metadata associated with these reports is usually retained for approximately 90 days. The report content may be retained longer if needed for editorial records, legal compliance, or quality-control purposes.
10. Lawyer Directory Profiles
Some pages display lawyer or law-firm profile information. Profile information may include:
- name;
- law firm;
- title;
- office address;
- telephone number;
- fax number;
- public email address;
- website;
- professional photograph;
- biography or practice information; and
- other professional information submitted for public display.
If you claim, create, or update a profile, you are responsible for ensuring the information you submit is accurate, lawful, current, and suitable for public display.
Profile information is used to publish and manage directory listings, contact registrants about profile issues, support directory operations, and communicate about CCH services.
11. How We Use Personal Information
CCH uses personal information to:
- operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site;
- respond to inquiries;
- review reported inaccuracies or concerns;
- publish and manage lawyer directory profiles;
- verify or manage profile claims;
- prevent spam, abuse, fraud, and unauthorized access;
- send administrative or service-related communications;
- measure site usage and performance;
- comply with legal obligations;
- enforce our Terms of Use; and
- support future newsletter or marketing communications where permitted by law.
12. Service Providers and Disclosure
CCH does not sell personal information.
CCH may share personal information with service providers that help us operate the Site, including providers for:
- website hosting;
- analytics;
- spam prevention;
- email delivery;
- newsletter delivery, if a newsletter is activated;
- internal workflow and notification tools;
- security, backups, maintenance, and technical support.
These service providers may process information on our behalf. Some may process information outside Canada.
CCH may also disclose personal information where required or permitted by law, including to comply with a court order, legal process, lawful request by public authorities, regulatory requirement, or to protect the rights, safety, security, or property of CCH, users, registrants, or the public.
13. Cross-Border Processing
CCH's primary hosting infrastructure is intended to be located in Canada. However, some service providers used by CCH may process personal information in the United States or other countries.
Where required by applicable law, CCH will assess cross-border processing risks and use reasonable contractual, technical, and organizational safeguards.
Privacy laws in other countries may differ from Canadian privacy laws, and information processed outside Canada may be accessible to courts, law-enforcement agencies, regulators, or public authorities in those jurisdictions.
14. Email Communications and CASL
If CCH sends commercial electronic messages, such as newsletters or promotional emails, it will do so in accordance with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation and other applicable laws.
Where required, CCH will obtain consent, identify the sender, provide contact information, and include an unsubscribe mechanism.
Service-related or administrative emails may still be sent where permitted by law, including messages about a profile, account, form submission, security issue, or requested communication.
15. Retention
CCH keeps personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law.
Typical retention periods include:
- server logs: approximately 90 days;
- report-an-inaccuracy technical metadata: approximately 90 days;
- contact-form messages: approximately 24 months after last contact;
- profile-claim and registrant records: while the listing is active and for approximately 24 months after removal;
- newsletter subscriber information: until unsubscribe or deletion request, subject to legal recordkeeping requirements;
- analytics data: approximately 14 months, depending on analytics settings;
- backup copies: retained for a limited backup cycle and then overwritten or deleted.
These periods may be adjusted where necessary for legal compliance, dispute resolution, security, fraud prevention, tax/accounting obligations, or technical backup limitations.
16. Safeguards
CCH uses reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, modification, loss, or theft.
No website, database, email system, or internet transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
If CCH becomes aware of a privacy breach that creates a real risk of significant harm, CCH will notify affected individuals and report to the appropriate privacy authority where required by law.
17. Your Rights
Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:
- request access to personal information CCH holds about you;
- request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
- request deletion of personal information;
- withdraw consent, subject to legal or contractual limits;
- ask questions about our privacy practices; and
- for Quebec residents, request portability of certain personal information in a structured, commonly used technological format, where applicable.
To exercise these rights, contact privacy@criminalcodehelp.ca or support@criminalcodehelp.ca.
CCH may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.
18. Third-Party Websites
The Site may link to third-party websites, including lawyer websites, law-society websites, legal resources, court websites, government websites, and other external resources.
CCH is not responsible for the content, accuracy, security, or privacy practices of third-party websites. Review the privacy policies and terms of any external site you visit.
19. Changes to This Privacy Policy
CCH may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on the Site with a revised "Last updated" date.
Your continued use of the Site after an updated Policy is posted means you acknowledge the updated Policy.