Report 2007-001 Released

The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Phil Wall, has released his Report 2007-001 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/

Report 2007-001

Report Date: January 31, 2007

Public Body: Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philips

Summary: The applicant applied to the Town of Portugal Cove � St. Philip�s (the �Town�) under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the �ATIPPA�) for access to copies of written complaints against him from employees of the Town, including one from an alleged complainant whom he identified by name. The Town refused access to the records based on sections 26(1)(a) & (b), and 30 of the ATIPPA, and further stated that there was no record responsive to his request in relation to the one employee he identified by name. The applicant applied to the commissioner for a review. The commissioner determined that there was a reasonable basis upon which to accept the Town�s decision to use section 26 to withhold the written complaints of two of the four complainants. The commissioner also determined that while names and other personal information must be removed as per section 30, the other two complaints, to the extent that they are about the applicant (and thus comprise the applicant�s personal information), should be released to the applicant. The commissioner agreed with the Town�s position that there were no responsive records in relation to the one employee named by the applicant.

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Media contact:
Sandy Hounsell
Executive Director
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
709-729-6309

2007 02 05                               10:05 a.m.