The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Phil Wall, has released his Report 2006-003 under authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. A summary of the report is included below.

To view the report in its entirety, please go to //www.oipc.gov.nl.ca/

Report 2006-003
Report Date: March 14, 2006
Public Body: College of the North Atlantic
Summary: The applicant applied to the College of the North Atlantic ("CNA") for access to certain e-mail records from within a group of e-mail records which had already been identified following an electronic records search in response to a previous access to information request by the Applicant�s spouse. CNA responded to the request by providing access to a number of records and withholding others under sections 20 and 21 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act ("ATIPPA"). The applicant then filed a Request for Review asking the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner to review CNA�s decision to withhold some of the records, and also expressing concerns about whether CNA had understood the request and had responded in an open, accurate and complete manner. No informal resolution was achieved, and after the matter was referred to the formal stage, the applicant forwarded evidence to the commissioner that there were additional records responsive to this request which had not been provided. Two further searches by CNA during the course of this review resulted in a number of additional records being provided to the applicant. The commissioner noted a number of issues in relation to electronic searches and made several recommendations, including an audit of CNA�s e-mail system in order to fully determine its search capabilities, as well as training for staff engaged in conducting such searches. One additional e-mail record was also recommended for release.

Media contact: Sandy Hounsell, Executive Director (709) 729-6309

2006 03 17                             2:55 p.m.