Freedom of Information Regime

Summary

This practice note provides an overview of the law relating to public access to information held by governmental agencies in Canada and the responsibilities of those agencies for protecting personal information collected about individuals. More specific, it provides a summary of the freedom of information regime, including a list of all the applicable legislation, and sets out the federal regime structure, particularly, the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. As well, it explains requests for information, identifies what constitutes exempt information, and discusses third-party involvement and disclosure of information to law enforcement. Last, it sets out the procedures for internal review and complaints.