When we review cases, we get all the documents unredacted and we get the redacted copy, so we verify with the actual text where redactions have been applied and what exemptions have been applied. We get to see all of the information, and then we say, “Okay, you've applied, say, personal information here”, section 19, so we will say, “Well, why do you say this is personal information?” Perhaps this person is a public servant and this information is not personal information. So we say to the institution, “You have to justify it to us.” The onus is on them to justify to us why they would apply this exemption, and then we make a determination. We agree or not with them, and then we'll say, “We disagree with you on this one”, and most of the time they'll agree with us, because Ms. McCarthy is very convincing.
On October 25th, 2011. See this statement in context.