The Department of Opportunities and Social Development (public body) did not issue a decision to the applicant in response to an access to information request within the legislated time period required by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP). The applicant appealed to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. The Commissioner finds that the public body is in contravention of s. 7 of FOIPOP and recommends that a decision be issued to the applicant within 14 days of the date of this review report.

This is the sixth report that the Commissioner has made since August 2023 because this public body has failed to respond to the applicant within the statutory deadline. For this reason, the Commissioner is repeating the recommendation in NS Review Report 24-16, which was previously rejected, that senior leadership at the public body address this problem by ensuring it has sufficient resources to fulfill its legal obligations under FOIPOP. See more...

An applicant asked Halifax Regional Police (HRP) for records related to its use of facial recognition technology. HRP withheld portions of the requested information under s. 472(1)(b) (intergovernmental affairs) and s. 475(1)(k) (harm the security of any property or system) of Part XX of the Municipal Government Act (MGA). The Commissioner finds that HRP failed to meet its burden when it did not provide any representations to explain why it thought it was allowed to withhold the information it did. The Commissioner recommends disclosure of the requested records to the applicant, with the exception of one piece of personal information contained in them.

While HRP disclosed additional information to the applicant during the review process with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) to comply with its legal obligations under the MGA, it declined to provide representations or evidence to support its decision to continue to withhold the remaining information, despite its burden to do so. In light of this, the Commissioner also makes similar recommendations as those she previously made in NS Review Report 22-12: that HRP implement policies and procedures for engaging in the access to information review process with the OIPC and provide training on those policies and procedures to staff involved in the access to information review process. The Commissioner strongly urges that in future, HRP meaningfully complies with its legal obligations under the MGA by providing representations and evidence to demonstrate why it believes it has met its burden to withhold information from applicants. See more...

Canada’s Information Commissioners and Ombuds issue joint resolution calling for enhanced transparency in government operations

Federal, provincial, and territorial privacy regulators address responsible information-sharing in situations involving intimate partner violence

Toronto, Ontario, November 27, 2024 - Privacy authorities across Canada have issued a joint resolution to guide the responsible disclosure of personal information in situations involving intimate partner violence (IPV). Finalized at their October annual meeting, hosted by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, the resolution aims to empower organizations and their staff to make informed decisions about privacy, confidentiality, and public safety. See more...

• Resolution: Responsible information-sharing in situations involving intimate partner violence
• Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario hosts annual meeting of federal, provincial, and territorial information and privacy commissioners and ombuds
• Sharing Information in Situations Involving Intimate Partner Violence: Guidance for Professionals
• S4-Episode 5: Addressing intimate partner violence: Information sharing, trust, and privacy | Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario​​​

NEWS RELEASE