The complainant alleged that Library and Archives Canada (LAC) had improperly withheld information under subsection 15(1) (national security and international relations) of the Access to Information Act in response to an access request for records of the Intelligence Advisory Committee, 1989-1995. The complaint falls within paragraph 30(1) (a) of the Act.

The records from the 1980s and 1990s pertain to migration trends and global developments. The complainant’s representations and the Office of the Information Commissioner’s (OIC) research indicated that the Canadian Government had disclosed similar records, and that the information in the records reflect public and Parliamentary debate. The OIC concluded that disclosure of the records would not  harm national security and international relations and did not meet the requirements of subsection 15(1).

LAC disclosed the records in their entirety on January 20, 2023.

The complaint is well founded.