Opinion ID: 1719216
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: State Right of Privacy

Text: The final category concerns a general right of privacy, the right to be free from unjustified governmental and private intrusion, which is guaranteed by state constitutions, legislative acts, and judicial decisions. Although the United States Supreme Court has recognized a fundamental constitutional right of privacy which applies in certain limited circumstances, that Court has refused to establish a general right of privacy under the federal constitution: But the protection of a person's general right to privacy  his right to be let alone by other people  is, like the protection of his property and of his very life, left largely to the law of the individual States. Katz, 389 U.S. at 350-51, 88 S.Ct. at 510-11 (footnote omitted). Prior to the enactment of Florida's privacy amendment, this Court expressly refused to find a general right of disclosural privacy emanating from any provision of the Florida Constitution. See Byron, Harless. But cf. Cason v. Baskin (approved civil tort action for invasion of privacy). The new constitutional provision states: Every natural person has the right to be let alone and free from governmental intrusion into his private life except as otherwise provided herein. This section shall not be construed to limit the public's right of access to public records and meetings as provided by law. Art. I, § 23, Fla. Const. Importantly, in recognition of Florida's strong commitment to the public's right to know of governmental operations, the unambiguous language of the new provision makes it clear that courts may not construe the provision in a manner which would impair the public's right of access to public records and meetings to assure governmental accountability.