Commonwealth of Nations. Comprehensive data protection. Model law
Commonwealth Model LawCommonwealth Model Provisions on Data Protection (2022), replacing the Model Bill on the Protection of Personal Information (2002) and Model Privacy Bill
Partly verified
Medium confidence.The text_url is the announcement page; I did not find a direct link to the model law text.
§1Summary
- Synopsis
A non-binding template law that Commonwealth member states can adapt when drafting or amending data protection legislation. It includes optional provisions on consent, use limitation, breach investigation, compliance and cross-border transfers, and aims to harmonise rules across the 56 Commonwealth countries.
- Key themes
- Unique features
Offers optional drafting alternatives to fit common-law systems at different development stages; it is aligned with recent international instruments.
- SaaS relevance
Background only; influences national laws in smaller Commonwealth jurisdictions.
§2Obligations
- Breach notification
- Model provisions on breach investigation
- Cross-border transfers
- Model grounds for cross-border transfer
- Maximum penalty
- None (model)
§3Dates
- Key dates
- Adopted
- In force
- 2002 Model Bill on the Protection of Personal Information and Model Privacy Bill; replaced by the Model Provisions on Data Protection adopted by Commonwealth Law Ministers in Mauritius in November 2022
§4Text and authority
- Text
- Authoritative text thecommonwealth.org
- Authority
- Commonwealth Secretariat (Rule of Law)
§5Where it applies
- Members of the body
Membership-based — check ratification status. Membership of Commonwealth of Nations does not mean a state has signed or ratified this instrument.
- Alberta
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Australian Capital Territory
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Botswana
- British Columbia
- Brunei
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cyprus
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guyana
- India
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- New Brunswick
- New South Wales
- New Zealand
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nigeria
- Northern Territory
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Quebec
- Queensland
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Australia
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Tasmania
- The Gambia
- Togo
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda
- United Kingdom
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- Zambia
§6Sources and verification
- Sources consulted
- Verification
Medium confidence.
Partly verified
Medium confidence.The text_url is the announcement page; I did not find a direct link to the model law text.