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Helpful information on how the Office of the Information Commissioner approaches investigations and interprets the Access to Information Act.

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Submit a complaint

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 reviews and investigates complaints

Reminder: If your complaint relates to a request you made under the Privacy Act or to another matter covered by that law, submit your complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

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Caroline Maynard

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.

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Quarterly statistics

Statistics about the OIC’s complaint caseload (new and concluded complaints) and related work. The graphs are updated quarterly and are supplemented by data in the Information Commissioner’s annual report.

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Guidance

Guidance for institutions on how the OIC approaches 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

Information Commissioner’s appearance before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

Release Date

May 4, 2026
Ottawa, ON

(Check against delivery)

Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today.

For 2026-27, the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada has been allocated $15.7 million in voted funding through the Main Estimates. This represents a small increase of 0.45% over the previous year.

The mandate of my office is to carry out investigations into complaints about access to information requests made to federal institutions.

Information Commissioner expresses reservations with Government’s initial step in the review of the Access to Information Act

Release Date

Gatineau, Quebec, March 6, 2026 – Following the publication of the Government of Canada’s 2025 review of the Access to Information Act: Policy approaches on March 5, 2026, Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard has released the following statement:

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