The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ed Ring, has released his Report A-2008-001 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/reports.htm

Report: A-2008-001

Report Date: February 28, 2008

Public Body: College of the North Atlantic

Summary: The Applicant applied to the College of the North Atlantic ("CNA") for access to certain records. CNA responded by providing access to a portion of the records while withholding others under exceptions provided for in the ATIPPA. The Applicant asked the Commissioner to review CNA�s decision with regard to severing and withholding records, and he presented reasons why he felt additional records exist which should be disclosed to him. CNA disagreed, stating that a thorough and reasonable search had been conducted, and no additional records were found. CNA also noted that further searches were conducted during the Commissioner�s investigation, with the same result. CNA stated that it had released all of the records suggested for release by the Commissioner�s Office during informal resolution efforts, and the remaining records were being withheld on the basis of sections 20, 21 and 30 of the ATIPPA. The Commissioner accepted that a reasonable search had been conducted, and was not convinced by the Applicant�s argument that additional records must exist. He also agreed with the College�s decision to withhold records under sections 20, 21 and 30. The Applicant also filed a complaint under section 44 about the College�s use of an extension of time. The Commissioner found that the College was justified under section 16 in extending the time limit, and therefore the complaint was not well founded. The Commissioner did, however, issue one recommendation based on his assessment that the College did not comply with section 11(2) in that it did not issue its final response to the Applicant within the extended 60 day period.

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Media contact:
Ed Ring
Information and Privacy Commissioner
709-729-6309