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Guidance

Helpful information on how we approach investigations and interpret the Access to Information Act.

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Submit a complaint

The Access to Information Act gives Canadians the right to request information from federal institutions. If you submitted a request for information to a federal institution under the Act and you are not satisfied with how it was processed, you may complain to the OIC.

You can ask for records from the OIC by making an access request under the Access to Information Act. Anyone who believes that their access request was improperly handled by the OIC may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner ad hoc.

Complaints regarding matters covered by the Privacy Act are only investigated by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

The OIC investigates complaints under the Access to Information Act. Not all institutions are subject to the Act – it applies to about 250 institutions listed in Schedule I of the Act.

To make an access to information request to a federal government institution, see the ATIP Online Request Service.

The time frame for filing a complaint to the OIC is within 60 days after you have received response to your access request from a federal institution, or within 60 days after you became aware that grounds for the complaint exist.

To inquire as to the status of your complaint, please contact us.

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Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard

What we do

Complaints

The Access to Information Act gives Canadians the right to request information from federal institutions. If you submitted a request for information to a federal institution under the Act and you are not satisfied with how it was processed, you may file a complaint with us.

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Guidance

Our guidance for institutions on how we approach investigations and on the Information Commissioner’s interpretation of the Act is available to everyone.

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Parliamentary activities

The Information Commissioner reports directly to Parliament. She appears before parliamentary committees and makes written submissions to them. She also publishes her annual report to Parliament and issues special reports when required. Upon request, the Commissioner provides expert advice to parliamentarians on access to information matters.

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Latest news

Dramatic increase in the number of complaints submitted to the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC) in 2021–22

Release Date

Gatineau, June 15, 2022 – The Information Commissioner of Canada, Caroline Maynard, has submitted her 2021–22 Annual Report to Parliament for tabling today.

The Annual Report shows a concerning 70% increase in complaints over the previous fiscal year. “Never, since the creation of the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada in 1983, have we recorded such a large number of complaints,” remarked Commissioner Maynard.

Information Commissioner’s appearance before ETHI Committee

Release Date

by Caroline Maynard, Information Commissioner of Canada

May 16, 2022
Ottawa, ON

(Check against delivery)

Thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. I have been looking forward to the opportunity to speak to this committee.

I am eager to answer your questions about how my office works to uphold the right of access through our investigations, the guidance we provide to complainants and institutions, as well as our observations regarding the access to information regime.

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