Canada's Information Commissioner Launches Public Consultation on How To Improve Access Law

The Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada, which acts to ensure that federal institutions respect the Access to Information Act, has launched a public consultation on the modernization of the legislation. The process will end on December 21, 2012.

"We are soliciting your input and advice on many recurring issues which raise a fair share of questions with regard to the Access to Information Act. These issues deal with all aspects of the access to information program, such as coverage of the Act, exemptions and exclusions, powers of the Information Commissioner and so on.
As citizens, you can play a role in the ongoing dialogue about how to keep Canada’s access to information regime relevant and effective. In order to provide informed and objective advice to Parliament about Canada’s access to information regime, we encourage you to share your views on some of the questions posed in this open dialogue or on other issues that concern you."

To help people, the Office's website has sections on:

• Open Dialogue: this section describes the origins of the Act, as well as some of its ongoing challenges and weaknesses
• General Questions: these relate to the exclusion of many federal institutions from the coverage of the Act and the exclusion of certain kinds of documents such as Cabinet confidences
• Specific Questions
• Documentation: this section lists many earlier studies and proposals for changes to the Act