Alberta’s privacy commissioner will review “chronic delays” in the Justice Department’s response to freedom-of-information requests.
Commissioner Jill Clayton says her office has issued eight orders which found Alberta Justice and the Solicitor General failed to meet timelines to respond.
She says her office is dealing with many other files that raise similar concerns.
READ MORE: Alberta abusing freedom of information process: Wildrose
Legislation requires a public body to respond to a request within 30 days or within a stipulated extension period.
Clayton says not responding to access requests on time is, in her words, “a significant compliance issue.”
She says access to information is a cornerstone of democracy and her job is to ensure the rights of Alberta residents are being upheld.
“As I have said before, access delayed is access denied,” she said in a release Tuesday.