Halifax Herald Ltd. v. Workers' Compensation Board (N.S.) et al., 2008 NSSC 369

• Judge: Warner, J.
• Court: Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: December 08, 2008
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: 2008 NSSC 369;(2008), 272 N.S.R.(2d) 203 (SC)

Halifax Herald Ltd. v. WCB (2008), 272 N.S.R.(2d) 203 (SC);

    869 A.P.R. 203

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2008] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. DE.023

The Halifax Herald Limited (appellant) v. The Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia (respondent) and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Nova Scotia (intervenor)

(297753(A); 2008 NSSC 369)

Indexed As: Halifax Herald Ltd. v. Workers' Compensation Board (N.S.) et al.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court

Warner, J.

December 8, 2008.

Summary:

A newspaper, The Halifax Herald, asked the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) for the names of 25 companies reporting the highest number of injuries over a three-year period pursuant to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP). The WCB claimed that the information sought was protected confidential information under s. 21 of the FOIPOP Act. The Herald sought a review. A Review Officer, after formal review, filed a report recommending that the information be released. The WCB refused to answer the request. The Herald appealed. The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Nova Scotia intervened.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court allowed the appeal and granted The Herald's application for release of the information.

Crown - Topic 7206

Examination of public documents - Freedom of information - Bars - Personal information - A newspaper, The Halifax Herald, asked the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) for the names of 25 companies reporting the highest number of injuries over a three-year period pursuant to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP) - The WCB claimed that the information sought was protected confidential information under s. 21 of the FOIPOP Act - The Herald sought a review - A Review Officer, after formal review, filed a report recommending that the information be released - The WCB refused to answer the request - The Herald appealed - The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Nova Scotia intervened, arguing that the release of this information, when combined with information already released by the WCB, could lead to an identifiable individual and would thus be an invasion of personal privacy contrary to s. 20 of the FOIPOP - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court held that the intervener's argument was without merit - See paragraphs 36 to 48.

Crown - Topic 7214.1

Examination of public documents - Freedom of information - Bars - Commercial, financial, labour relations, scientific or technical information - A newspaper, The Halifax Herald, asked the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) for the names of 25 companies reporting the highest number of injuries over a three-year period pursuant to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP) - The WCB claimed that the information sought was protected confidential information under s. 21 of the FOIPOP Act - The Herald sought a review - A Review Officer, after formal review, filed a report recommending that the information be released - The WCB refused to answer the request - The Herald appealed - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court stated that disclosure of the names of the 25 employers "(i) would reveal labour relations information about the 25 employers, but (ii) would not reveal information supplied by the employers, or, if I [Warner, J.] am wrong, the information for which access is sought was not supplied with a reasonable expectation of confidentiality, and furthermore, (iii) disclosure of the names of the 25 employers could not reasonably be expected to harm significantly their competitive positions, or result in similar information no longer being supplied to WCB when it is in the public's interest that it be supplied, per s. 21 of the Act" - In the result, the court allowed the appeal and granted The Herald's application.

Cases Noticed:

Whalen v. Roe (1977), 429 U.S. 589 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 18].

R. v. Dyment, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 417; 89 N.R. 249; 73 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 13; 229 A.P.R. 13, refd to. [para. 19].

Southam Inc. v. Hunter, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 145; 55 N.R. 241; 55 A.R. 291, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Morgentaler, Smoling and Scott, [1988] 1 S.C.R. 30; 82 N.R. 1; 26 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Beare; R. v. Higgins, [1988] 2 S.C.R. 387; 88 N.R. 205; 71 Sask.R. 1, refd to. [para. 19].

Edmonton Journal v. Alberta (Attorney General), [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1326; 102 N.R. 321; 103 A.R. 321, refd to. [para. 19].

Rodriguez v. British Columbia (Attorney General) et al., [1993] 3 S.C.R. 519; 158 N.R. 1; 34 B.C.A.C. 1; 56 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. O'Connor (H.P.), [1995] 4 S.C.R. 411; 191 N.R. 1; 68 B.C.A.C. 1; 112 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 19].

Godbout v. Longueuil (Ville), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 844; 219 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 19].

Blencoe v. Human Rights Commission (B.C.) et al., [2000] 2 S.C.R. 307; 260 N.R. 1; 141 B.C.A.C. 161; 231 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 19].

Sheena B., Re, [1995] 1 S.C.R. 315; 176 N.R. 161; 78 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 19].

R.B. v. Children's Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto - see Sheena B., Re.

O'Connor v. Nova Scotia (Minister of the Priorities and Planning Secretariat) (2001), 197 N.S.R.(2d) 154; 616 A.P.R. 154; 2001 NSCA 132, refd to. [para. 28].

Dagg v. Canada (Minister of Finance), [1997] 2 S.C.R. 403; 213 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 28].

Dickie v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Health) (1999), 176 N.S.R.(2d) 333; 538 A.P.R. 333 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 36].

Information Commissioner (Can.) v. Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board (2006), 348 N.R. 263; 2006 FCA 157, refd to. [para. 38].

Ontario (Attorney General) v. Pascoe et al. (2001), 154 O.A.C. 97 (Div. Ct.), affd. (2002), 166 O.A.C. 88 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 38].

Reid v. Halifax Regional School Board (2006), 241 N.S.R.(2d) 245; 767 A.P.R. 245; 2006 NSSC 56, refd to. [para. 53].

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Re (1996), 152 N.S.R.(2d) 354; 442 A.P.R. 354; 1996 CarswellNS 342 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 53].

Foley v. Cape Breton Regional Hospital - see Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Re.

Shannex Health Care Management Inc. v. Nova Scotia (Attorney General) (2004), 224 N.S.R.(2d) 203; 708 A.P.R. 203; 2004 NSSC 54, refd to. [para. 54].

Ontario (Minister of Health and Long Term Care) v. Information and Privacy Commissioner (Ont.) (2003), 178 O.A.C. 171 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 54].

Chesal v. Nova Scotia (Attorney General) et al. (2003), 211 N.S.R.(2d) 321; 662 A.P.R. 321; 2003 NSSC 10, affd. (2003), 219 N.S.R.(2d) 139; 692 A.P.R. 139; 2003 NSCA 124, refd to. [para. 64].

Vancouver Police Board, Re, [1999] B.C.I.P.D. 44, refd to. [para. 64].

Fuller v. Nova Scotia et al. (2004), 223 N.S.R.(2d) 172; 705 A.P.R. 172; 2004 NSSC 86, refd to. [para. 66].

Workers' Compensation Board (Ont.) v. Information and Privacy Commissioner (Ont.), 1992 CanLII 4216 (Ont. I.P.C.), revd. (1995), 85 O.A.C. 43 (Div. Ct.), revd. (1998), 112 O.A.C. 121; 1998 CarswellOnt 3445 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 69].

Order P-373, Re - see Workers' Compensation Board (Ont.) v. Information and Privacy Commissioner (Ont.).

Atlantic Highways Corp. et al. v. Nova Scotia et al. (1997), 162 N.S.R.(2d) 27; 85 A.P.R. 27 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 74].

Air Atonabee Ltd. v. Canada (1989), 27 F.T.R. 194; 1989 CarswellNat 585 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 77].

Lavigne v. Commissioner of Official Languages (Can.) et al. (2002), 289 N.R. 282; 2002 SCC 53, refd to. [para. 93].

Canadian Football League v. Canada (Minister of Fitness and Amateur Sports) and Shoalts (1989), 24 F.T.R. 62 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 94].

Cusson v. Quan (2007), 231 O.A.C. 277; 2007 ONCA 771, refd to. [para. 106].

Grant et al. v. Torstar Corp. et al. (2008), 243 O.A.C. 120; 2008 ONCA 796, refd to. [para. 106].

Statutes Noticed:

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, S.N.S. 1993, c. 5, sect. 3(1)(i), sect. 20 [para. 33]; sect. 21 [para. 34]; sect. 31(1), sect. 31(4) [para. 35].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Birkinshaw, Patrick, Freedom of Information: The Law, the Practice and the Ideal (2nd Ed. 1996), generally [para. 13]; pp. 5 [para. 22]; 16, 17 [para. 17].

Drapeau, Michel W., and Racicot, Marc-Aurele, Federal Access to Information and Privacy Legislation Annotated 2004 (2004), pp. 173, 185 [para. 21].

Levin, A., and Nicholson, M.J., Privacy Law in the United States, the EU and Canada: The Allure of the Middle Ground (2005), 2:2 U.O.L.T.J. 357, paras. 63 [para. 18]; 68 [para. 19].

McNairn, Colin H.H., and Woodbury, Christopher D., Government Information: Access and Privacy (2008 Looseleaf Update, Release 1), pp. 4-5 [para. 78]; 7-5 [para. 38].

Counsel:

Cory J. Withrow, for The Halifax Herald Ltd. ("Herald"), appellant;

David P.S. Farrar, Q.C., and Richard M. Dunlop, for the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia ("WCB"), respondent;

Daniel W. Ingersoll and Andrew D. Taillon, for Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Nova Scotia ("CME-NS"), intervenor.

This matter was heard at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on October 23 and 24, 2008, before Warner, J., of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, who delivered the following decision on December 8, 2008.