NB Judge Confirms Severance Payment Information Must Be Protected From Public Disclosure Under RTIPPA

In a decision issued February 29, 2016, Justice Morrison of the NB Court of Queen's Bench, dismissed an appeal which would have otherwise compelled a University to disclose severance payment information, which was expressly shielded by a confidentiality clause.

Under the Province's Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RTIPPA), information related to the "job classification, salary range, benefits, employment responsibilities or travel expenses" for an "officer or employee of a public body" must be disclosed by the public body, on the basis that RTIPPA expressly states such personal information is "not an unreasonable invasion of a third party's privacy." Public bodies under the Act include: Parts I-IV of the public service, municipalities and publically-funded universities.