HALIFAX—Nova Scotia has appointed a lawyer from northern Canada as the province’s new freedom of information and protection of privacy watchdog.

Tricia Ralph’s appointment as the review officer for access to information takes effect on March 1.

She is currently legal counsel for the information and privacy commissioner of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

The review officer has an independent oversight role and is appointed by cabinet for a term of five to seven years.

In his announcement, Justice Minister Mark Furey says Ralph’s role is key to ensuring a balance between the protection of information and the public right to access government information.

Ralph’s predecessor, Catherine Tully, criticized the province for often refusing to follow her findings to release information, and called on the Liberal government to bring the province’s access laws “into the 21st century.”

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