PO-1995

The Ministry of the Attorney General (the Ministry) received a request from the appellant, under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act), for access to records relating to Help Line, an association of former students from St. Joseph's Training School for Boys and St. John's Training School for Boys. Specifically, the appellant requested copies of records relating to the settlement agreements that were initially negotiated by the independent Reconciliation Process Implementation Committee (RPIC). The RPIC was made up of representatives of the victims of abuse, the Government of Ontario, the Roman Catholic Church and the Christian Brothers. The appellant was a member of RPIC.

The Ministry identified a number of responsive records in the following four categories, and issued a response to the appellant denying access:

(a) a signed copy of the Helpline reconciliation agreement and companion agreement;

(b) records relating to the negotiation and implementation of the companion agreement, including correspondence and memoranda between several listed individuals and organizations, including the Premier of Ontario;

(c) the apology which allegedly was introduced in the Ontario Legislature pursuant to the terms of the companion agreement; and

(d) all records between the appellant and the Government of Ontario regarding the issue of apologies in relation to the companion agreement.

The appellant appealed the Ministry's decision and, following an inquiry, Senior Adjudicator David Goodis disposed of a number of issues regarding access in Order PO-1864. In that order, Senior Adjudicator Goodis upheld the Ministry's decision to exempt certain records under sections 19 or 49(a), and ordered the disclosure of a number of records and portions of records including "complete, signed copies of the reconciliation agreement and the companion agreement." He also ordered the Ministry to conduct further searches and to "issue a decision to the appellant, in accordance with Part II of the Act, respecting any additional records responsive to part (b) of the request it may have located at its Records Centre or any other location."

• FIPPA