Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
March 6, 2014

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner – Report A-2014-006 Released

The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ed Ring, has released his Report A-2014-006 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-2014-006
Report Date:	March 5, 2014
Public Body:	Department of Justice
Summary:	The Applicant requested from the Department of Justice (the “Department”) his complete file held by the Department. The Department provided partial access to the records requested, severing certain information under the exceptions to disclosure set out in sections 20, 21, 23, 27, and 30. During both the informal resolution process and the formal investigation stage, the Department released certain information previously withheld and ceased relying on section 27 (disclosure harmful to business interests of a third party) completely. The Commissioner found that the Department had fulfilled its duty to assist under section 9. The Commissioner determined that the Department had properly withheld information under section 21 (legal advice). The Commissioner held that the Department had properly denied access to certain information under section 20 (policy advice or recommendations) but that in one instance section 20 was not appropriately applied. In relation to the Department’s denial of access in reliance on section 23 (disclosure harmful to intergovernmental relations or negotiations), the Commissioner made a finding that this denial was not proper. Further, the Commissioner ruled that certain information had been improperly withheld in reliance on section 30 (disclosure of personal information). The Commissioner recommended release of all information that had been improperly withheld by the Department.

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Media contact:

Ed Ring
Information and Privacy Commissioner
709-729-6309

2014 03 06                                           11:30 a.m.