Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
– Report A-2011-002 Released

The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ed Ring, has released his Report A-2011-002 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.nl.ca/accessreports.htm 

Report: A-2011-002
Report Date: March 22, 2011
Public Body: Executive Council

Summary: The Applicant applied to Executive Council under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the “ATIPPA”) for access to “[t]he personal file on me in the premier’s office.” Executive Council responded to the Applicant’s request by stating that there were no records responsive to the request. The Commissioner determined that there was a misunderstanding between the Applicant and Executive Council as to the interpretation of the wording of the Applicant’s access request. The Commissioner concluded that Executive Council, by not contacting the Applicant to seek clarification of the request, had failed to meet the duty to assist imposed on it by section 9. The Commissioner recommended that in future access requests Executive Council should attempt to develop an effective working relationship with applicants in order to facilitate the access to information process.

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

2011 03 23             10:05 a.m.