As a parent or guardian of a child under 16, you are entitled to request health information about your child as if it were your own information. For other personal information, the Privacy Act does not provide a right of access by a parent, but a parent or guardian can request information if the child is either too young to act on their own behalf, or where the child has consented.

The case for government agencies identifying opportunities to work together to provide public services is compelling. We expect government to be efficient, to deliver services based on sound reasoning and in ways that bring the most benefit to the people they are trying to help.

Late last year, one of my senior investigating officers came to me with a file she’d been working on for quite a while. She was convinced the facts supported a finding of an “interference with privacy”, that is, a breach of the privacy principles, that had caused harm to the complainant. She’d tried to reach a settlement, but the parties were too far apart.

It began with a photo shared privately among friends and set in motion events that resulted in a precedent setting award for damages for a privacy breach.

Over the last few months we’ve talked about how our Office is trying to provide more effective and efficient responses when we investigate complaints by taking a practical approach to dispute resolution -  including trying to talk with people more and calling compulsory conferences where appropriate.

We’ve been grappling with a difficult question recently, and one that’s featured in New Zealand’s courts too. What is and isn’t news media and when should the Privacy Act apply?

We get it. As a lawyer, one of the least fun things about your job is chasing the money. Sometimes people just don’t cough up for the service you provide.

A recent Human Rights Review Tribunal case has attracted some attention as a result of its colourful facts – bad feelings between previously friendly neighbours, allegations about vandalism, and a compensation bill of $7000.