According to the website link for the Office of the Information Information & Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (“OIPC”), IF the BCSC wanted to extend the time in which they responded to my request under the FIPPA Act, they had to fill out a Time Extension Request and submit that to their office “at least 3 business days before the time limit for responding to the request (as set out in sections 7 and 10 of FIPPA) has expired.” They did not!
We did receive our FOI request on June 8, 2016 – the story of how we received them is truly bizarre and enables us to question the motives and professional misconduct (again) of Staff at the BCSC.
As indicated in a previous blog post, our FOI request was due on June 6, 2016 – and we would assume that means before the close of business.
At 10:48 AM on June 8, 2016, we filed a formal complaint with OIPC demanding to be told when we could expect our FOI request from the BCSC, along with concerns with the blatant lack of respect Staff at the BCSC have shown for the deadlines they must adhere to.
Miraculously, only 30 minutes later at 11:18 AM, an email arrived on our computer from the FOI Analyst at the Commission with the information we requested.
Why do they play these games? We now look to the OIPC staff to determine what sanctions the BCSC will face with regard to this blatant disrespect of their Act. What point is having a deadline if one does not need to abide by them?