Supreme Court to release decision on PM access

The Supreme Court of Canada is expected to release its decision later today on whether the public should see the prime minister’s daily schedule.

Federal information commissioner lawyers plan to appeal lower-court rulings, which denied access-to-information requests to release prime minister Jean Chretien’s daily agenda in the 1990s.

The Canadian Press reports that “The Conservatives are carrying on a legal fight begun by the Liberals to keep the day books secret, even though they wanted them released while in opposition.”

CP adds:

“The question has been before the courts for more than decade, through three prime ministers, generating enough volumes of affidavits, case law, and transcripts to fill an entire bookshelf in the Supreme Court of Canada’s registry office.

“Ultimately, the high court will decide where to draw the line between private and public information in the prime minister’s and cabinet ministers’ offices.”