Supreme Court rules ministerial documents are exempt from FOI requests

In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada has decided that the offices of ministers and the prime minister are exempt from Canada’s Access to Information Act.

Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault spoke out against the court’s decision in a news conference on May 13. Legault called the ruling "a setback for freedom of information advocates" and a move that could result in a "significant reduction in government accountability and transparency." Newspapers Canada acted as an intervener in the case in support of the Commissioner.

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