5822-02973 — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
The complainant alleged that Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) failed to conduct a reasonable search for "School Narratives" and supporting documents. CIRNAC officials identified that records existed but refused to process them, citing confidentiality and a lengthy processing time. The Information Commissioner found the complaint well-founded, ordering CIRNAC to retrieve and process all responsive records and provide a new response to the request.
- Reasonableness of the search conducted by the institution
- Institution's refusal to process identified records
- Complainant's right of access to records under the control of a government institution
Complaint well founded — disclosure ordered
The Commissioner found that CIRNAC identified records responsive to the request but refused to process them, which constitutes a failure to conduct a reasonable search and effectively denies the complainant's right of access.
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The Commissioner ordered CIRNAC to retrieve and process all responsive records and provide a new response to the access request.
- s.4 ATIA
- s.30(1)(a) ATIA
This is a summary of a decision by the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada and is for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice.