My renewed commitment to access to information
Release Date
Canadian Access and Privacy Association Annual Conference
November 25, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
(Check against delivery)
Good afternoon,
Guidance
Helpful information on how the Office of the Information Commissioner approaches investigations and interprets the Access to Information Act.
- Control of records
- Decisions database
- Interpretation: Exemption from disclosure: personal information
- Process: seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on an access request under section 6.1
- Policy: accommodation when receiving services from the Office of the Information Commissioner
- What are the possible outcomes for my complaint?
- Conducting a reasonable search for records
Submit a complaint
In light of the strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, complainants are encouraged to use the Office of the Information Commissioner’s electronic complaint form to submit complaints.
The Access to Information Act gives a right to access information under the control of government institutions. The Act also provides a right to complain to the Information Commissioner about matters related to an access request made under the Act, such as the following:
- the institution’s response to the request
- the fact that the institution did not respond to the request
- how an institution treated the request.
Individuals may also complain about other matters related to requesting and accessing records under Part 1 of the Act, even if they did not make an access request.
In all instances, complainants may authorize someone else to submit a complaint(s) on their behalf.
More information: Types of complaints; How the OIC processes and investigates complaints
What the OIC does
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 the OIC.
Guidance
Guidance for institutions on how the OIC approaches investigations and on the information Commissioner's interpretation of the Act is available to everyone.
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.
Bouchard (Phoenix pay system) class action: A settlement has been reached in the Bouchard class action against the Government of Canada. Consult the first notification to class members to learn more about the settlement, who’s included in the class action, how to participate in the hearing to approve the settlement, or how to opt out of the class action.
Latest news
Information Commissioner’s Statement for Right to Know Week 2024
Release Date
Each year on September 28th, countries around the globe recognize the International Day for Universal Access to Information as an occasion to reflect on the important role the right of access plays in development, democracy and equality.