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Access to information is the right of the public to obtain information held by public bodies as well as an obligation for governments to ensure records are created, maintained, and made readily available. Access to information is essential for informed public discourse on which democracy depends. It not only facilitates developing effective solutions to societal problems but also empowers communities that have historically been marginalized and silenced.

Policy Submission February 9, 2024

CFE Closing Submission to the Foreign Interference Commission

CFE urged the Commission to act on the testimony of expert panels and witnesses that there is an immense public interest in transparency regarding foreign interference. "The Commission cannot defer to the Government of Canada’s conclusions on what can and cannot be disclosed [but must] be prepared to seek recourse in Federal Court on an expedited basis" in the event the Government attempts to overly restrict public access to essential documents about foreign interference.
News June 13, 2023

Justice served in secret is a dangerous precedent: Quebec criminal court system under spotlight for holding ‘phantom trial’

Quebec’s criminal court system has been selected as the provincial winner of the 2022 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy after it was revealed to have held a secret trial involving a police informant, which was only later revealed in a judgment by the province’s court of appeal after the accused appealed their conviction.