Access to Information

The Access to Information Act gives Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or any person or corporation present in Canada a right to access information that is contained in government records. The Act is intended to complement existing procedures for access to government information such as Open Government initiatives.

This page provides links to the Access to Information Act, its policy instruments and tools necessary for the administration of the legislation.

Act and Policy Instruments

• Access to Information Act
• Access to Information Regulations
• Policy on Access to Information - This policy replaces the Access to Information Policy (dated 1993) and all mandatory policy requirements contained in Implementation Reports issued up to the new policy's effective date.
• Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act – Provides direction for the implementation of consistent practices and procedures for the processing of access to information requests.
• Implementation Reports and Information Notices - Provides guidance on the interpretation and application of the Access to Information Act and related policies.

Guidance, Best Practices and Tools

• Access to Information Manual
• Best Practices for Posting Summaries of Completed Access to Information Requests

Links of Interest

• Report on the TBS Study of Best Practices for Access to Information Requests Subject to Particular Processing
• Access to Information Toolkit
• How to make a request for government information
• Training and learning activities available to the Access to Information and Privacy Community
• Information resources on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act as well as provincial and territorial legislation