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Our Open Access Policy enhances the transparency of our work and provides the public with the ability to make requests for information.
The BCUC’s Open Access Policy (Policy) has been designed to enhance the transparency of our work and provide the public with the ability to obtain certain categories of records. This is as described in Section 5 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
Our work is open and transparent, all decisions and related documents are publicly available on the bcuc.com website. As a quasi-judicial body, it is important to understand and uphold deliberative privilege in our regulatory work. Any records that support, or are related to our adjudication processes, will not be publicly released in accordance with Section 61 of the Administrative Tribunals Act and Section 3 of FIPPA.
This policy is administered in accordance with the following principles:
The Policy shall be applied in a manner that is considerate and protective of the personal privacy of individuals and records subject to this policy and that is considerate of the FIPPA. Any records that support, or are related to our adjudication processes, will not be publicly released in accordance with Section 61 of the Administrative Tribunals Act and Section 3 of FIPPA.
Items or information deemed “confidential” in accordance with the BCUC “Confidential Filings” are not subject to this Policy.
The BCUC will respond to any Open Access requests in a reasonable and timely fashion.
Fees for the reproduction and provision of records may be charged where authorized.
This Policy shall be made readily available to the public. Our work is open and transparent, all decisions and related documents are publicly available on the bcuc.com website.
This Policy shall apply only to requests for reasonable quantities and types of records that are maintained by the BCUC in electronic format.
The BCUC may refuse access under this Policy and defer to FIPPA.
Open Access is promoted by an amendment to Section 71 of FIPPA and aligns with the BCUC’s objective to proactively provide information access to its stakeholders. If the information is not readily available on the BCUC’s website, an Open Access Request can be made under this Policy.
If you are unable to obtain access to information from the BCUC’s website, you may file an Open Access Request by letter or email. The subject line must clearly indicate the request is made under the Open Access Policy and provide the following information:
BCUC staff may contact the requestor for additional information; in which case, a delay in providing the information may occur.
BCUC staff will review an Open Access request within five business days of receipt of the request, and if the information is readily available, it will be provided via email. If staff are unable to provide the requested information via email, it will be forwarded by regular mail provided additional costs are not incurred beyond standard mail fees. If records are requested to be received by courier, the records will be sent payable by the recipient.
If records are not promptly located or accessible, staff will provide the recipient with an expected delivery date within a reasonable period, and no later than 30 days of receipt of the request.
The BCUC may occasionally update this Open Access Policy. When we do, we will revise the "last updated" date within this section.