Democracy group urges overhaul of Nova Scotia's right to information law | CBC News
The Centre for Law and Democracy advocates for a comprehensive overhaul of Nova Scotia’s freedom of information legislation, arguing that current exemptions are too vague and routinely allow essential public data to remain hidden. The organization contends that secrecy should only be granted when there is a demonstrable risk of real harm, rather than serving to protect the economic interests or general preferences of public bodies. By tightening these criteria, the government can ensure transparency is the default, preventing officials from withholding information based on speculative or minor inconveniences. A critical component of this proposed reform involves empowering the information commissioner with independent legislative status and order-making powers. Currently, the commissioner lacks the authority to enforce decisions, leaving citizens to bear the burden of legal costs when the government ignores recommendations. Granting order-making capabilities would shift the legal burden to the province, ensuring that refusals to release information require court justification rather than arbitrary administrative discretion. This structural change aims to expedite resolutions and significantly strengthen the accountability of public institutions. This push for reform is directly relevant to open data initiatives because it addresses the foundational legal barriers to public accessibility. Effective open data policies rely on robust freedom of information laws that prevent excessive secrecy and ensure efficient, enforceable access to records. By moving away from discretionary withholding toward mandatory transparency and independent oversight, jurisdictions can create a more reliable infrastructure for citizens to access and utilize government data, thereby enhancing democratic engagement and government accountability.
Source: cbc.caPublished on 2023-12-05
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