WHEREAS timely access to public records and transparency in public institutions are essential in an open and democratic society, and the Courts have characterized Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial access to information and privacy laws as “quasi-constitutional;

WHEREAS the ever-expanding volume of digital records, underinvestment in information storage and management technologies, and rising access-to-information requests have led to chronic delays, effectively denying timely access;

WHEREAS privacy and access to information regulators, including the Information Commissioner of Canada in her 2023-2024 annual report, have called for increased funding, streamlined processes, and efficient resource allocation to carry out their mandates effectively;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Canadian Bar Association urges federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada to provide adequate funding and resources to privacy and access to information regulators, and to access to information and privacy offices within public institutions.

Moved by National Privacy and Access to Information Law Section

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