Investigator's Guide to Interpreting the Act
This section, contains information designed to assist investigators in pursuing their investigations into various types of complaints.
The interpretation of the Access to Information Act provided here are not guidelines, policies or dictates; they are explanations, primarily for investigations into the usage of the various exemption provision of the Act. They include discussions of the legislative provisions, judicial decisions made on those provisions and the logic of the exemptions.
They have been prepared over the years of the Office’s existence to help with the interpretation of the law involved in our investigations. Each one also provides suggested lines of questioning, to assist the investigator in fact-finding and in making recommendations for the resolution of the complaint.
Please note that the 2006 edition of the Investigator's Guide to Interpreting the Access to Information Act (previously published as "The Grids") is scheduled for a complete update in the next year.
- Discretion (general)
- Delays
- Section 13: Information obtained in confidence where disclosure authorized
- Section 14: Federal-provincial affairs
- Section 15: International affairs and defence
- Section 16: Law enforcement and investigations, security
- Section 17: Safety of individuals
- Section 18: Economic interests of Canada
- Section 19: Personal information
- Section 20(1)(a): Trade secrets of a third party
- Section 20(1)(b): Confidential information supplied by a third party
- Section 20(1)(c) and (d): Information that could impact third party financial matters or negotiations
- Section 20(2), (5) and (6): Product or environmental testing
- Section 20(2), (5) and (6): Disclosure if a supplier consents
- Section 20(2), (5) and (6): Disclosure authorized in public interest
- Section 21: Advice and recommendations
- Section 22: Testing or audits
- Section 23: Solicitor-client privilege
- Section 25: Severance
- Section 26: Information to be published
- Section 69: Cabinet confidences
- Lexicon