A journalist requested copies of serious occurrence reports provided to the ministry by a particular Indigenous children’s aid service provider for a specified 10-month period. The ministry refused to provide the journalist with copies of these reports, stating that providing the records would infringe the privacy rights of the individuals in the reports [the reason (exemption) at section 21(1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)]. The journalist did not seek the names of the children in care but information about each occurrence and how it was handled. The ministry maintained that disclosure of the information sought was not permitted for the personal privacy reason stated in FIPPA.
In this order, the adjudicator finds that some of the records are not able to be accessed under FIPPA due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Regarding the remaining information, the adjudicator agrees with the ministry and dismisses the appeal. The adjudicator also addresses the ministry’s claim made during the inquiry that some of the records could not be disclosed due to a confidentiality provision in the Child, Youth, and Family Services Act, 2017.