Public Health Agency of Canada (Re), 2022 OIC 26
The complainant alleged that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) unreasonably extended the time to respond to an access request for correspondence sent and received by its president during a specific week. PHAC cited a large volume of records (estimated at 30,000 pages) and the need for consultations as justification for the extensive extension. The Information Commissioner found that PHAC provided sufficient justification for the time extension under paragraphs 9(1)(a) and 9(1)(b) of the Access to Information Act, making the complaint not well-founded.
- Reasonableness of time extension due to volume of records (ATIA s. 9(1)(a))
- Reasonableness of time extension due to consultations (ATIA s. 9(1)(b))
- Impact of request scope on institution's operations
- Complainant's willingness to narrow the scope of the request
Complaint not well founded
The Commissioner determined that PHAC provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the large volume of records and the necessity of extensive consultations justified the time extension requested under paragraphs 9(1)(a) and 9(1)(b) of the Act. The Commissioner also noted the complainant's unwillingness to narrow the scope of the request, which significantly contributed to the large volume of records.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
- s. 9(1)(a) ATIA
- s. 9(1)(b) ATIA
- s. 4(2.1) ATIA
This is an informational summary only and does not constitute legal advice.