Public Employees’ Right of Privacy

Just in time for some “light summer reading”, on June 21, 2022, the Ontario Court of Appeal issued an interesting decision that may have implications for how institutions conduct searches in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

An Introduction to the FOI Appeal Process

In today’s article, I want to provide an introduction to the FOI appeal process from the perspective of the institution. My main goal is to build the confidence of the many FOI professionals in Ontario who have seldom or never faced an appeal.

Verifying the Identity of the Requestor

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Manual (the “FOI Manual”) notes that when a requestor asks an institution for the requestor’s own personal information, the institution must first verify the identity of the requestor before any personal information is disclosed.  The FOI Manual suggests that an institution may be able to fulfill theContinue reading “Verifying the Identity of the Requestor”