Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Re), 2022 OIC 18

The complainant alleged that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) failed to respond to four access to information requests within the 30-day statutory time limit. The OIC investigation confirmed that the RCMP did not issue responses by the deadlines for any of the four requests, leading to a deemed refusal of access under subsection 10(3) of the Act. The RCMP attributed the delays to operational challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including difficulties in obtaining records from its Offices of Primary Interest (OPIs) and the need for legal consultations regarding potential Cabinet confidences. However, the Information Commissioner found these explanations insufficient to justify the significant, prolonged delays, noting that the issues identified were not new and had been the subject of previous commitments. Consequently, the Commissioner found all four complaints to be well founded and ordered the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to provide final responses to each request forthwith. The RCMP subsequently informed the OIC that the complainant agreed to consolidate the requests, and a response would be provided by March 18, 2022.