Review of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act Completed

The statutory review of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (ATIPPA) has been completed and the final report delivered to the Honourable Felix Collins, Minister of Justice and Attorney General this afternoon. The review was conducted by Commissioner John Cummings, Q.C.

“I welcome this review of this province’s Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and look forward to reviewing the observations and recommendations of Mr. Cummings,” said Minister Collins. “The cornerstone of the ATIPPA is openness, transparency and accountability, and our government is committed to this important piece of legislation. The completion of this review fulfills a key piece of our ATIPPA.”

Proclaimed in January 2005, the ATIPPA mandates in Section 74 that a review of the legislation be commenced within five years. The Provincial Government announced a review of ATIPPA and the appointment of a commissioner on March 17, 2010 which sought input from residents of Newfoundland and Labrador on their experiences with the legislation, as well as any revisions they may suggest.

“An important aspect of this review was the opportunity for the general public to voice their concerns and help shape how our government moves forward with our ATIPPA,” added Minister Collins. “It was also essential that public bodies affected by this legislation were contacted for input.”

The 80-page review contains 33 recommendations which are now under review by the Department of Justice. The report can be found at //www.justice.gov.nl.ca/just/publications/ATIPPA_Review_Report.pdf.

“I thank Mr. Cummings for his work,” said Minister Collins. “Each and every recommendation of the report will be carefully reviewed and considered.”

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Media contact:
Jennifer Tulk
Director of Communications
Department of Justice
709-729-6985, 699-6524
JenniferTulk@gov.nl.ca

2011 01 26             5:45 p.m.