Privy Council Office (Re), 2024 OIC 28
The complainant alleged that the Privy Council Office (PCO) improperly withheld information under sections 13(1) and 15(1) of the Access to Information Act. The request was for Minutes of the Joint Intelligence Committee from 1963. The Information Commissioner found that the exemptions were not properly applied to the withheld information and recommended disclosure. PCO indicated it would not implement the recommendation.
- Whether PCO properly applied subsection 13(1) (confidential information from government bodies).
- Whether PCO properly applied subsection 15(1) (international affairs, national security, defence).
- Whether the exemptions claimed by PCO were justified given the age of the records and previous disclosures.
- PCO's decision not to implement the Commissioner's recommendations.
Complaint well founded — disclosure recommended.
The Commissioner concluded that the Privy Council Office failed to demonstrate that the withheld information met the requirements of either subsection 13(1) or subsection 15(1) of the Access to Information Act, finding that previous disclosures and publicly available information discredited the institution's claims of potential harm.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
The Commissioner recommended that the Privy Council Office disclose the records in their entirety, with the exception of the names of Liaison Officers from other allied countries, and provide a new response within 60 business days.
- s.13(1) ATIA
- s.15(1) ATIA
- s.30(1)(a) ATIA
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