In response to access-to-information stonewalling by Canada’s defence establishment, Parliament’s freedom of information watchdog is asking the Federal Court to compel the Department of National Defence to follow the law. Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard submitted two new applications to the Federal Court on Feb. 20, on the heels of one from Dec. 18, 2023.
It was only later during the committee meeting, when National Defence deputy minister Bill Matthews was asked about the court case, that he remarked that the department is trying to work through a backlog. Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard has filed three applications against DND at the federal court. photograph by Andrew Meade “We have frequent dialogue with the information commissioner.