The head of Canada's military police has reversed a decision to prevent the public from seeing the Defence Department's response to the findings of an inquiry into the suicide of a Canadian soldier.

Colonel Rob Delaney, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal, said in a statement on Friday that, "in the interests of transparency," he was lifting the protected designation from the response to the report of the Military Complaints Commission's inquiry into the death seven years ago of Corporal Stuart Langridge.

The commission applied earlier this week to the Federal Court of Canada for a judicial review of the designation. If it had been allowed to stand, it would have prevented the public and Cpl. Langridge's family from learning whether the military intends to change the way it operates as a result of what was learned during the inquiry.

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Cpl. Langridge's mother, Sheila Fynes, who was furious when she was told that the response would be withheld, said she is gratified to hear the decision has been overturned.

"We are just really pleased that they stepped up and someone has decided to do the right thing," Ms. Fynes said in a telephone interview from Victoria. Now, she said, she and her husband Shaun – Cpl. Langridge's stepfather – are waiting with "trepidation" for the Military Complaints Commission's final report, which is to be released on Tuesday along with the military response.

The commission's interim report, which was not shared publicly, was handed to the military police last spring in expectation of a response, which was delivered in December.

Col. Delaney said his initial decision to keep the military response under wraps was made after the commission indicated it would simply be appended to its final report. The colonel said he wanted the response to be incorporated into the body of the report because he was concerned about losing the contextual references, particularly as they related to the "openness of communications" between the two organizations.

But he relented after the commission launched the court action – and after Ms. Fynes expressed vigorous objections.

"While I could wait on a judicial ruling on the issue of procedure, I don't feel it would be in line with our principles of openness and transparency," Col. Delaney said. "To resolve the apparent impasse in the current case, please be advised that I am approving the removal of the designation … "

The decision to make the military response public came after Defence Minister Jason Kenney apparently learned through the news media that the military was attempting to keep it secret.

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Mr. Kenney told a news outlet on Friday that he met Thursday with the chair of the Military Police Complaints Commission, who expressed his concerns. Mr. Kenney said he then "inquired" about the response and was told it would be released.

Cpl. Langridge was found hanging in his barracks in Edmonton in 2008. He had been depressed and exhibiting signs of post-traumatic stress disorder since returning from Afghanistan in 2004.

Michel Drapeau, the lawyer for the Fynes, said he and his clients have had to put up with repeated obstinance on the part of the military. Mr. Drapeau pointed out that Ms. Fynes has never been given a copy of report from the 2009 board of inquiry into Cpl. Langridge's death.

But he said he was pleased with the decision that the response to the Military Police Commission Inquiry would be made public. "We're not looking for a fight," Mr. Drapeau said. "We just want to get to the truth and [the Fynes] want basically to go on with their lives."