Information Commissioner Sues Defence Minister Over Failure to Release Records on COVID Policies

The commissioner’s office is seeking a court order to force the Defence Department to comply with its request and respect the Access to Information Act.

Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard prepares to appear at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, in Ottawa, on March 7, 2023.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

Canada’s Information Commissioner has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court to force the Department of National Defence (DND) to provide records on its COVID-19 policies as requested through an access to information request.

“The Minister’s ongoing violation of his legal duty to implement the Commissioner’s binding Order issued under the Act is contrary to the law,” says the notice of application filed on Dec. 18.