Summary

The bill amends The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to expand public access to government information, create a mandatory public-interest disclosure obligation, allow the Information Commissioner to issue enforceable orders, and authorize the Commissioner to review records protected by solicitor-client privilege. It also permits fee waivers for requests in the public interest and shortens timelines for government responses to Commissioner recommendations.

Under current Saskatchewan law, government bodies can refuse freedom-of-information requests for various reasons, and the Information and Privacy Commissioner issues recommendations that government can decline without going to court. This bill changes that process in three major ways. First, it requires government bodies to immediately disclose information about significant environmental or health risks or anything else clearly in the public interest, overriding all other secrecy provisions. Second, it allows the Commissioner to review all government records, including those covered by solicitor-client privilege, though the privilege itself is not lost. Third, it gives the Commissioner power to issue orders that become enforceable court judgments if government agrees with a recommendation but fails to comply within 10 business days, or if government does not seek a court declaration disagreeing with the recommendation. The bill also allows government heads to waive or reduce fees when the applicant cannot afford them or when the request concerns public interest matters like environment or public health.