Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act

The Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RTIPPA) makes public bodies open and accountable by legislating the right of access to public body records while protecting personal information held by public bodies.

The purposes of the act are to:

• Give you the right to access records held by public bodies, with some exceptions.
• Protect your privacy rights by setting rules for how public bodies collect and handle your personal information.
• Give you the right to ask for corrections to your personal information.
• Allow for an independent review of decisions made by public bodies under the act. For example, if you are not happy with public body’s response to your right to information request, you can file a complaint with the Ombud.

Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RTIPPA)

RTIPPA was given Royal Assent on June 19, 2009, bringing together two separate pieces of legislation: the Right to Information Act (1978) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (1998). Proclamation was September 1, 2010.

The legislation was the product of two years of consultation. In February 2007, the provincial government established the Right to Information and Protection of Personal Information Review Task Force. The Task Force heard from a variety of stakeholders and released its final report in September 2007.

In June 2008, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Bill 82) was introduced in the Legislative Assembly and referred to the Standing Committee on Law Amendments. The Committee studied the bill and reported back to the House in April 2009. In response to this report, the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Bill 89) was introduced in the Legislative Assembly in May 2009 and passed in June 2009.

2022 Review

A review of RTIPPA started on April 1, 2022 and was completed by March 31, 2023. A final report was then filed with the legislature.

As part of the review, we conducted a public survey. We also released a discussion paper requesting feedback. We received more than 50 submissions. This response demonstrates how a great variety of people are invested in upholding the right to information and the protection of privacy in New Brunswick. Submitters ranged from governments and other public bodies to media and the public. View the report to learn more about the feedback we received and the recommendations.

Review of the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act – 2023 Minister’s Report (PDF)

2014 Review

This review was the first review conducted after RTIPPA came into force. One of the recommendations in the 2014 review was that a new provision be added to the Act to ensure that it is reviewed regularly. This report presents the most common themes heard during the 2014 review.

Review of the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act – 2015 Minister’s Report (PDF)