Transparency advocates call for independent review of Access to Information Act

Transparency advocates say a coming federal review of the Access to Information Act should be overseen by an independent panel, not the government, to avoid the pitfalls of the last such exercise.

In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali, civil society groups, academics and others call for a genuine and timely examination of the access law.

The next federal review of the Access to Information regime is set to begin soon.

For a $5 fee, people can use the access law to ask for a range of federal documents — from internal emails to policy memos — but it the law has long been criticized as out of date and poorly administered.

The law has not been overhauled since its introduction more than 40 years ago and many users complain of lengthy delays and report getting heavily blacked-out documents or full denials in response to their applications.

On the federal election trail in April, Carney committed to an "objective review" of the system, saying it would serve Canadians well.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick