Right to Know Week – September 22 to 28, 2014

Tue, Sep 23, 2014

Each year on September 28, approximately 40 countries and 60 non-governmental organizations celebrate Right to Know Day.  The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about the right to access information held by government bodies while promoting freedom of information as essential to both democracy and good governance.  In Canada, the right to know is celebrated for one week.  This year Right to Know Week is from September 22 to September 28, 2014. 

This year marks the ninth year Canadians have celebrated International Right to Know Week.  Yukon’s Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) welcomes the opportunity to participate in the worldwide effort to raise awareness about the public’s right to access information and its value. 

What are my rights to access information held by Yukon public bodies?
Every person has a right under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the ATIPP Act) to access information (personal or otherwise) held by Yukon public bodies, which includes Yukon government departments.  This right is negatively impacted when a response to a request for access to information is not received in a timely manner or is incomplete. 

How does a late or incomplete response negatively impact my right to access information?
The ATIPP Act establishes rules that a public body and the records manager must follow when responding to access requests.  These rules require a public body and the records manager to provide a response that is open, accurate and complete.  These rules set out when a response must be provided and when an extension of time to respond is allowed.  The rules also specify the information that must be contained in a response. 

If the timelines to respond set out in the ATIPP Act are not followed or a decision to extend the timeline is made without authority, a person is denied timely access to the information requested.  If a person is not provided with sufficient information to explain the authority relied on by a public body to refuse access to information, a person will not understand the reasons for that decision and may ask the IPC to review the decision.  Requesting a review in this circumstance may unnecessarily extend the process to obtain access to the information. 

What is being done to protect my rights?
Over the past year, the IPC has been actively involved in ensuring responses received by persons making access requests meet the requirements of the ATIPP Act. 
• She met with ATIPP coordinators of public bodies and the ATIPP Office (where the records manager is located) to discuss challenges.
• She modified her investigative and reporting procedures to ensure more information about how to interpret and apply the ATIPP Act is available.
• She investigated complaints about insufficient responses and conducted an inquiry into a decision made about a time extension.
• She published her investigation and inquiry reports and a case summary to educate the public, public bodies, and the records manager about how the provisions of the ATIPP Act related to responses are to be interpreted and applied.  Reports and case summaries can be found at Work we've done.

The IPC will continue to promote access to information rights in Yukon and will continue to work with public bodies and the records manager to improve access to information under the ATIPP Act. 
For more information about Right to Know Week in Canada please see Canada’s Right to Know website at: http://www.oic-ci.gc.ca/rtk-dai-eng/