Confidentiality
Members of ASFA Council, the ASFA Executive, and invited persons have an ethical and legal obligation to respect the privacy and privileged information of ASFA, its Council, committees, membership, and personnel. Respecting confidentiality is key to trust and confidence in good working relationships, as well as being mandated by legislation. ASFA Council members, Executives, and invited persons must at all times respect the confidentiality of non-public information such as Council documents, third party information, closed session matters, and anything else deemed by Council as sensitive and confidential. Confidentiality means that such materials and matters must not be communicated to anyone, including close family members. This fiduciary duty of confidentiality exists indefinitely after a Councillor, Executive, or invited person has left Council.
All data, materials, and information generated for ASFA Council, or persons and organizations associated with Council activities, including contracted agents, are to be considered privileged and confidential and not to be disclosed to any third party except by order of Council. This explicitly refers to all Council documents and any sensitive information that ASFA Councillors, Executives, and invited persons are privy to access.
Any improper disclosure, misuse, copying, or transmitting of any protected data, materials, and information, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject you to disciplinary action according to ASFA governing documents and procedures. Please note that severe infractions may be subject to prosecution under relevant legislation.
This confidentiality policy does not prevent ASFA Council, Executives, or invited persons from disclosing information to tax authorities, governmental agencies, or legal bodies having regulatory control or jurisdiction over ASFA. Furthermore, ASFA’s auditors, legal counsel, and other contracted third parties are authorized to review records when necessary for the purposes in which ASFA engages them.