5822-01936 — Correctional Service Canada
The complainant alleged that Correctional Service Canada (CSC) improperly withheld information under subsection 19(1) of the Access to Information Act (ATIA). The request was for emails containing specific keywords related to COVID-19 and lockdowns. The Information Commissioner found that while some information, like contact tracing details and offender histories, properly qualified as personal information, other withheld information, such as the type of incidents in situation reports and dates of shifts for certain staff, did not. CSC was ordered to disclose the information that did not meet the requirements of subsection 19(1), and the institution indicated it would comply.
- Whether information withheld under subsection 19(1) of the ATIA qualifies as personal information.
- Whether the institution demonstrated that disclosing certain information (e.g., shift dates, type of incident) would identify an individual.
- Whether the institution reasonably exercised its discretion to disclose information under subsection 19(2) of the ATIA.
Complaint well founded — disclosure ordered
The Commissioner determined that while CSC properly withheld some personal information related to COVID-19 contact tracing and offender details, it failed to demonstrate that other withheld information, such as the type of incident or certain shift dates, met the definition of personal information under the ATIA.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
The Commissioner ordered CSC to disclose specific categories of information previously withheld under subsection 19(1) of the ATIA that were found not to meet the definition of personal information.
- s.19 ATIA
- s.30(1)(a) ATIA
- s.19(1) ATIA
- s.19(2) ATIA
- s.3(j) Privacy Act
This is an informational summary only and does not constitute legal advice.