Canada Supreme Court Finds Limited Right to Government Information

The Supreme Court of Canada on 17 June 2010 ruled 7-0 that Canadians have a limited right to government information unless the information is necessary to the effective exercise of the freedom of expression and is not privileged. The court held that under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing freedom of expression a claimant must show that denial of access to withheld information "effectively precludes meaningful public discussion on matters of public interest."

Read Story in JURIST: Canada Supreme Court finds limited right to government information information