- Parties: The applicant was Sylvie Matas. The respondent was Affaires Mondiales Canada (Global Affairs Canada). 

- Subject Matter: The applicant, a retired public servant, filed an access request (A-2021-00779) with the respondent. She requested a copy of an inspection report made by the respondent at the Canadian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal in 2018. Allegedly, following this inspection, three local employees were dismissed for fraud. On Oct. 18, 2021, the respondent refused to disclose records to the applicant on the basis of s. 19(1) of the Access to Information Act, 1985 (ATIA). The applicant filed a complaint with the Office of the Information Commissioner. She alleged that the respondent erroneously refused to disclose records under s. 19(1) of the ATIA. On Mar. 22, 2022, the Office of the Information Commissioner declared the applicant’s complaint against the respondent not well-founded. The applicant sought judicial review under ss. 41(1) and 44.1 of the ATIA. 

- Ruling: The court ruled in the respondent’s favour and dismissed the judicial review application. The court concluded that the respondent met its obligation to consider whether any part of the record not containing personal information was severable and properly refused to make a severance among the records in line with s. 25 of the ATIA. 

- Date: The hearing was set on Oct. 25, 2023. The court released its decision on Jan. 23, 2024. 

- Venue: This was a federal case before the Federal Court. 

- Amount: The court made no costs order.