Canadian privacy & access decisions

The complainant alleged that Library and Archives Canada (LAC) improperly withheld information under subsection 15(1) of the Access to Information Act, concerning records of the Intelligence Advisory Committee from 1989-1995. These records pertained to migration trends and global developments. The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) found that the Canadian Government had previously disclosed similar records and that the information reflected public and Parliamentary debate, leading the OIC to conclude that disclosure would not harm national security or international relations. Consequently, the OIC determined that the requirements for exemption under subsection 15(1) were not met. As a result of the OIC's intervention, LAC disclosed the records in their entirety on January 20, 2023. The complainant expressed satisfaction with this disclosure.

• Whether s.15(1) ATIA (national security and international relations) was properly applied to records of the Intelligence Advisory Committee, 1989-1995
• Whether disclosure of the records would cause harm to national security or international relations