Decisions

The Information Commissioner publishes* the final reports on her investigations on this website when she deems them to be of value in providing guidance to both institutions and complainants.

The Office of the Information Commissioner has established the Decisions Database to enable users to search final reports and other decisions, which outline the reasons and principles behind the Commissioner’s decisions and filter them using a number of criteria.

This database is updated regularly and continues to grow as more final reports, decisions and orders are added. The dates indicated refer to the date on which the decision was rendered.

Institutions are legally obliged to abide by an order from the Commissioner unless they apply to the Federal Court for a review of the matter that is the subject of the order. The Access to Information Act does not provide any other alternative to complying with the order. 

To learn more about the Information Commissioner’s orders and her decisions on applications for permission to decline to act on an access request, please visit Frequently asked questions.

Other Corporate publications are available on the website.

* Note

Please note that under subsection 37(3.2) of the Act, final reports cannot be published prior to the expiration of the timelines for applications for judicial review before the Federal Court.

Final reports may only be published a minimum of 36 business days after the date of the final report. When third parties and/or the Privacy Commissioner receive a copy of a final report, the report may only be published 46 business days after the date of the final report.

Filters
Decision Type

24 decisions found

Nov 1
2025

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2025 OIC 63

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on an access request under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the access request is vexatious and an abuse of the right of access.

The Commissioner finds that the institution established that the access request at issue is an abuse of the right of access. Moreover, the circumstances warrant that she provides her approval to the institution to decline to act on this access request.

The application is granted.

Read more
Jul 21
2025

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2025 OIC 47

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on an access request under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the access request is vexatious.

The Commissioner finds that the institution did not establish that the access request is vexatious.

The application is denied.

Read more
Feb 1
2025

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2025 OIC 8

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on two access requests under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the access requests constitute an abuse of the right to make a request.

The Commissioner finds that the institution did not establish that the access requests are an abuse of the right to make a request.

The application is denied.

Read more
Dec 1
2024

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2024 OIC 77

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on an access request under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the request constitutes an abuse of the right to make a request.

The Commissioner finds that the institution established that the access request is an abuse of the right to make a request. Moreover, the circumstances warrant that she provides her approval to the institution to decline to act on this access request.

The application is granted.

Read more
Nov 1
2024

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2024 OIC 78

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on an access request under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the access request constitutes an abuse of the right to make a request.

The Commissioner finds that the institution did not establish that the access request is an abuse of the right to make a request.

The application is denied.

Read more
Oct 1
2024

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2024 OIC 69

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on 597 access requests under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the requests are an abuse of the right to make a request and vexatious.

The Commissioner finds that the institution established that 550 of the 597 access requests are an abuse of the right to make a request. The circumstances warrant that she provides her approval to the institution to decline to act on these access requests. She is not providing her approval for the 47 remaining access requests. The institution did not show they are vexatious or that they are an abuse of the right to make a request.

The application is partially granted.

Read more
Aug 1
2024

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2024 OIC 64

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on an access request under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the request is vexatious, an abuse of the right to make a request and made in bad faith.

The Commissioner finds that the institution established that the access request is vexatious. Moreover, the circumstances warrant that she provides her approval to the institution to decline to act on the access request.

The application is granted.

Read more
Jun 1
2024

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2024 OIC 62

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on an access request under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the request was an abuse of the right to make a request.

The Commissioner finds that the institution established that the access request is an abuse of the right to make a request. Moreover, the circumstances warrant that she provides her approval to the institution to decline to act on the access request.

The application is granted.

Read more
Jun 1
2024

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2024 OIC 63

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution submitted an application seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on five access requests under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. In the institution’s opinion, the requests are vexatious and an abuse of the right to make a request.

The Commissioner finds that the institution established that two of the access requests are an abuse of the right to make a request, namely, A-2023-00305 and A-2023-00314. Moreover, the circumstances warrant that she provides her approval to the institution to decline to act on these two access requests.

That said, the institution neither established that the remaining access requests (A-2023-00303, A-2023-00308 and A-2023-00310) are vexatious, nor that they are an abuse of the right to make a request.

The application is partially granted.

Read more
Apr 1
2024

Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2024 OIC 60

Institution
-
Section of the Act
6.1
Decision Type
Declining to act on a request
Summary

An institution made an application to the Information Commissioner for approval to decline to act on an access request under subsection 6.1(1) of the Access to Information Act. The institution submitted that the request constitutes an abuse of the right of access.

The Information Commissioner found that the institution established that the request is an abuse of the right of access. In addition, the Commissioner found that the circumstances warranted she provides her approval to the institution to decline to act on the access request at issue.

The application is granted.

Read more
Date modified:
Submit a complaint