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Making an access-to-information request
A few pointers
Who makes requests under the federal Access to Information Act?
Requests received in 2013-14 from:Businesses 23,127 38.58%
Public 23,641 39.44%
Media 8,355 13.94%
Organization 2,897 4.83%
Academia 1,927 3.21%
Total 59,947 100%
Who gets the most requests?
Citizenship and Immigration Canada 29,281
Canada Border Services Agency 4,671
Canada Revenue Agency 2,751
National Defence 1,231
Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1,730
Health Canada 1,563
Environment Canada 1,459
Transport Canada 1,091
Privy Council Office 907
Foreign Affairs 904
Other institutions 13,359
Total requests 2013-14 59,947
Getting started
Research your subject What do you know? Tip of the iceberg What don’t you know? Rest of the iceberg Ask for information informally Use freedom of information as a safety
net, a tool to obtain material you can’t get any other way
Seek out smaller agencies
The biggest federal departments are often swamped with requests
Avoid lengthy delays and extensions by making applications to small agencies
Check the Info Source guide for ideas
www.infosource.gc.ca
Canadian Dairy CommissionCanadian Environmental Assessment AgencyCanadian Food Inspection AgencyCanadian Forces Grievance BoardCanadian Grain CommissionCanadian HeritageCanadian Human Rights CommissionCanadian Human Rights TribunalCanadian Institutes of Health ResearchCanadian International Development AgencyCanadian International Trade TribunalCanadian Museum of Civilization CorporationCanadian Museum of NatureCanadian Nuclear Safety CommissionCanadian Polar CommissionCanadian Race Relations FoundationCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications CommissionCanadian Security Intelligence ServiceCanadian Space Agency
Canadian Polar Commission
Pay careful attention to each access law
Fees, time limits and other requirements vary depending on the jurisdiction
Web links on the syllabus will help you get to know the laws governing various provinces, territories, municipalities and public bodies
Be warned: some jurisdictions levy large fees
Wording requests
Pay special attention to:
Time-frame Type of records
The key is striking a balance between wording that is too narrow and too broad
In general, asking for more than six months’ worth of records can be troublesome. And unless you have names, dates and places, requesting a specific letter or briefing note might be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Including but not limited to…
For example:
Privy Council Office
Records from June.15, 2013, to the present concerning the most recent decision to prorogue Parliament, including but not limited to briefing notes. However, I am not interested in emails. I am also not interested in anything that is obviously a cabinet confidence.
Important wording
Add the following to each request:
As this request is in the public interest, I ask that all fees please be waived. Please contact me when any records are ready for release.
Optional:
Please do not process any records that appear to be cabinet confidences.
Exercise
Break into five groups
Draft one timely, well-worded federal Access to Information request per group using the form found on the syllabus under Access-to- Information links / Access to Information fillable request form
Email it to: [email protected]
We will go over each one as a class
