Effective date

Heads of government institutions, or their delegates, are responsible for:

Exercising discretion

Exercising discretion under Part 1 of the Act in a fair, reasonable and impartial manner after: Considering the purpose of the Act, which is to enhance the accountability and transparency of federal institutions in order to promote an open and democratic society and to enable public debate on the conduct of those institutions;Considering the core principle of the Act that government information should be available to the public, subject to limited and specific exceptions;Considering all relevant factors for and against disclosure, the relevant provisions of the Act, as well as applicable jurisprudence;Consulting with other government institutions and third parties, where necessary, as provided in the Act; andReviewing the information contained in records.

Access to information training

Ensuring that employees of government institutions and officials who have functional or delegated responsibility for the administration of the Act receive training in accordance with Appendix B: Mandatory Procedures for Access to Information Training.Documenting the completion of training in accordance with Appendix B: Mandatory Procedures for Access to Information Training.

Eligibility of the requester

Establishing procedures to: Confirm that the requester is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, an individual present in Canada, or an authorized representative of a corporation present in Canada and therefore has the right to make a request under Part 1 of the Act.Confirm the identity of the requester when the requester seeks access to records involving their personal information; or that consent to disclose personal information was obtained by a requester making an access to information request on behalf of another individual.

Informal processing

Determining whether it is appropriate to respond to a request on an informal basis, recognizing that the Act is intended to complement existing procedures for obtaining government information and is not intended to limit the type of information that is otherwise available to the public. Proceeding with treating a request informally only upon receipt of written consent from the requester who has been informed that only formal requests are subject to the provisions of Part 1 of the Access to Information Act, including legislative timelines and the right to complain.

Acknowledging requests

Providing the requester with: Acknowledgement of receipt of the request; Receipt of the application fee;The legislative due date for the response; The contact information of the appropriate officer or office within the institution where questions and further clarifications may be addressed; Notification of the right to complain to the Information Commissioner; and,A copy of the Principles for Assisting Requesters, or a link to the Principles online.

Duty to assist

Protecting the identity of requesters

Limiting the use or disclosure of information that could directly or indirectly lead to the identification of a requester to a need to know basis or when authorized by the Privacy Act.

Interpretation and clarification of requests

Adopting a broad interpretation of an access request and communicating promptly with the requester when necessary to clarify the request. Assisting the requester in clarifying a request where it would result in the requester receiving more complete, accurate, or timely access.Documenting the wording of a clarified request as agreed to by the requester, and the date of the revision when a request has been clarified or its wording altered.

Access to record in format requested

Providing the records in the format requested by the requester, including machine-readable and reusable formats, when privacy, confidentiality and security considerations would not be compromised and when it would not be unreasonable to do so.

Onsite examination

When a copy of the record cannot be made available, providing an appropriate location and time convenient both for the institution and the requester, for the requester to examine the record. The location must meet government security requirements and be reasonably accessible to the requester.If personal information is involved, privacy requirements must also be considered.

Language of access

Providing the requested records in the language in which they exist, or if the requester has requested access in a particular official language, providing the requested records if the records already exist in that language. Should the requester seek the records in the official language different from which they currently exist, preparing and providing a translation of records if the head of the institution considers translation of the record to be in the public interest.

Accessible format for requesters

Providing the requested record in an accessible format requested by the requester if the record already exists in that format or, converting the record to the requested format if it is necessary to enable the requester to exercise their right of access, and reasonable to do so.

Processing requests

Use of prescribed platforms

Receiving requests using the prescribed platforms listed in Appendix E: Prescribed Platforms for Receiving and Processing Access to Information Requests.Processing requests using the prescribed platforms, listed in Appendix E: Prescribed Platforms for Receiving and Processing Access to Information Requests, when platforms have been prescribed.

Tracking system

Establishing and maintaining an internal management system to track: The processing of access requests;Consultation requests; Complaints; Reports, recommendations, and orders by the Information Commissioner; andReviews by the courts.

Documentation

Documenting the processing of requests by placing on file all documents that support decisions under Part 1 of the Act, including communications where factors considered when exercising discretion are discussed, recommendations are given, rationales are provided and decisions are made.

Control of records

Determining, in a manner consistent with jurisprudence and considering any Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) guidance, whether the records are under the control of the government institution.

Declining to act on a request

Making every reasonable effort to assist the requester in accordance with section 4(2.1) of the Access to Information Act and 4.1.9 and 4.1.10 of this Directive before seeking the Information Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on a request.Exercising the discretion to decline to act on a request under Part 1 of the Act in accordance with section 4.1.1 of this Directive.Seeking the written approval of the Information Commissioner in the form and with the supporting documentation required by the Information Commissioner. Giving written notice to the requester of the suspension of the time period for responding to the request and the reasons for the suspension, at the same time as the institution communicates with the Information Commissioner to obtain the Commissioner’s approval to decline to act on the request.If the Information Commissioner does not give approval for the institution to decline to act on a request, notifying the requester in writing of the Information Commissioner’s decision and the resumption of the time period for responding to the request.If the Information Commissioner gives approval for the institution to decline to act on a request, notifying the requester in writing of the decision to decline to act on the request and the reasons for doing so.

Extension of the time limit

Assessing, without undue delay, each access request received under Part 1 of the Act to determine if an extension is needed for processing the request.Notifying the requester of the extension within 30 days of the receipt of the request.Notifying the requester of their right to complain to the Information Commissioner in respect to extension of the time limit.Reporting on the number of and reasons for extensions in the institution’s annual report to Parliament.

Length of extension

Ensuring that any extension taken is as short as possible and can be reasonably justified.Establishing a process that would ensure justifications for extensions are documented and supported by evidence.

Notice of extension to Information Commissioner

Notifying the Information Commissioner if the extension is for more than 30 days, in accordance with subsection 9(2) of the Act.

Limiting the need for inter-institutional consultations

Undertaking inter-institutional consultation only when: The processing institution requires more information for the proper exercise of discretion to withhold information; orThe processing institution intends to disclose potentially sensitive information.Ensuring that consultation requests from other federal government institutions are processed with the same priority as access to information requests.

Exceptions to disclosure

Applying the exclusion and exemption provisions of the Act in accordance with:

the principle that government information should be available to the public, subject to limited and specific exceptions;
the purpose of the Act; and
relevant jurisprudence and TBS guidance.

Appendix C: Classification of Exemptions lists the exemptions and indicates whether they are based on a class test or an injury test, and whether they are discretionary or mandatory in nature.

Citing exemptions and exclusions invoked on records, provided under Part 1 of the Act, on each page, unless doing so would reveal the exempted information or cause the injury upon which the exemption is based to materialize.Clearly identifying the redacted material in a manner that is evident on the individual record.Recognizing that lack of relevance is not a ground for exemption, ensuring that non-relevant information contained in a record is disclosed unless an exemption applies or consent is obtained from the requester to not disclose non-relevant information.

Giving access

Providing written notice to the requester of whether access is being granted.Providing access to the records or part thereof or notifying the requester if access is refused. Providing, as appropriate, general information of a contextual nature in response to an access request to help the requester understand the record in cases where the record itself may provide misleading information and the access to information analyst has been informed by the office of primary interest that the information contained in the record may be misleading. For greater certainty, government institutions are not obligated to explain all records or complex information being disclosed when responding to an access request.Notifying requesters of their right to complain to the Information Commissioner in respect of matters relating to requesting and obtaining access to records under Part 1 of the Act.

Waiver or refund of fees

Exercising discretion concerning the waiver or refund of the application fee in accordance with section 4.1.1.Refunding the application fee if the request is processed as an informal request or if the Information Commissioner gives their approval for the institution to decline to act on the request.

Timely disclosure of records

Ensuring that any internal process relating to the disclosure of records under Part 1 of the Act does not delay the processing of the request.

Considering other means of making government information accessible

Regularly reviewing the nature of requests received under Part 1 of the Act and assessing the feasibility of making frequently requested types of information available by other means.

Allegations of an obstruction of the right of access

Establishing internal procedures to address alleged or suspected obstructions related to the right of access under Part 1 of the Act and the Information Commissioner’s duties and functions, which are outlined in sections 67 (1) and 67.1(1) of the Act. Procedures should outline measures for: Documenting and reporting any suspected falsification, concealment, mutilation or improper destruction of records as described in section 67.1(1) or any obstruction of the Information Commissioner’s duties and functions as defined in 67(1) immediately to the head of the government institution;Investigating any allegation of falsification, concealment, mutilation or improper destruction of records; or any obstruction of the Information Commissioner’s duties and functions as described in 67(1); andReporting a suspected contravention to the institutions’ security officials for their referral to law enforcement agencies as appropriate.

Publishing summaries of completed access to information requests

Publishing summaries of completed access to information requests to the Government of Canada Open Government portal within 30 calendar days after the end of each month, in accordance with Appendix D: Mandatory Procedures for Publishing Summaries of Completed Access to Information Requests.

Responding to informal requests for completed Access to Information requests

Establishing service standards for responding to informal requests for completed access to information requests.When an informal request is received for a previously completed access to information request, providing the previously provided information to the requester within established service timelines.

Monitoring and reporting

Monitoring and reporting on the requirements of this directive as specified in the Policy on Access to Information.

Employees of government institutions are responsible for:

Informal access

Recommending to the head or the delegate, when appropriate, that information requested under Part 1 of the Act be disclosed informally.

Complete, accurate and timely responses

Making every reasonable effort to locate and retrieve requested records under the control of the government institution. Ensuring searches for records are comprehensive and consider both the letter and the spirit of the request. Referring questions about whether records are under the control of the government institution to Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) officials with delegated authority for their determination. Advising ATIP officials at an early stage if a request cannot be responded to within the legislated 30-day timeframe.Making every reasonable effort to respond to requests within the timelines prescribed in the Act, including extensions taken in accordance with the Act.

Recommendations

Providing recommendations and contextual information to inform the head of the government institution, or their delegate, about possible exemptions or exclusions applicable to the records requested under Part 1 of the Act, taking into account the purpose of the Act.

Contracts and agreements

Establishing measures to support the right of public access to information when entering into contracts, arrangements and agreements.

Reporting suspected obstruction of the right of access

Following departmental procedures to report any suspected obstruction of the right of access.

Exemption	Short Description of the Exemption	Mandatory	Discretionary	Class	Injury
Table 1 Notes Table 1 Note 1 The exemption can only be claimed by the government institutions named in the provision. Return to table 1 note * referrer Table 1 Note 2 Where discretion is authorized. Return to table 1 note ** referrer
Subsection 13(1)	Information must be protected as it was obtained in confidence from: the government of a foreign state; an international organization of states; the government of a province; a municipal or regional government established by or pursuant to an act of the legislature of a province or an institution of such a government; or an Aboriginal government.	yes	no^{table 1 note **}	yes	no
Section 14	Federal - provincial affairs Access may be refused as it could be expected to be injurious to the Government of Canada’s conduct of federal-provincial affairs.	no	yes	no	yes
Subsection 15(1)	Access may be refused as it could be expected to be injurious to the conduct of international affairs; the defence of Canada or any state allied or associated with Canada; or Canada’s efforts to detect, prevent or suppress subversive or hostile activities.	no	yes	no	yes
Paragraph 16(1)(a)	Access may be refused as it was obtained or prepared by an investigative body (as per regulation) in the course of an investigation regarding: detecting, preventing or suppressing crime, enforcing any law of Canada or a province; or activities suspected of constituting threats to Canada’s security as set out in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act.	no	yes	yes	no
Paragraph 16(1)(b)	Access may be refused as the records contain investigative techniques or plans for specific lawful investigations.	no	yes	yes	no
Paragraph 16(1)(c)	Access may be refused as disclosure could be expected to be injurious to the enforcement of any law of Canada or a province or the conduct of lawful investigations.	no	yes	no	yes
Paragraph 16(1)(d)	Access may be refused as disclosure could be expected to be injurious to the security of penal institutions.	no	yes	no	yes
Subsection 16(2)	Access may be refused as the records contain information expected to aid in the commission of an offence. Includes, but is not limited to: information on criminal methods or techniques, technical information on weapons or potential weapons; or information on the vulnerabilities of buildings, structures or systems.	no	yes	no	yes
Subsection 16(3)	Information must be protected as it was obtained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police while performing policing services for a province or municipality.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 16.1^{table 1 note *}	Information must be protected as it was obtained or created by the Auditor General or Canada, the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Information Commissioner or the Privacy Commissioner during an investigation, examination or audit.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 16.2^{table 1 note *}	Information must be protected as it was obtained from or created by the Commissioner of Lobbying or on their behalf in the course of an investigation by the Commissioner.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 16.3^{table 1 note *}	Information must be protected as it was obtained or created by an individual who, in performing their functions under the Canada Elections Act, is conducting an investigation, examination, or review.	no	yes	yes	no
Section 16.4^{table 1 note *}	Information must be protected as it was obtained or created by or on behalf of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner in the course of an investigation of a disclosure or an investigation commenced under section 33 of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA); or Received by a conciliator while attempting to reach a settlement of a complaint filed under the subsection 19.1(1) of the PSDPA	yes	no	yes	no
Section 16.5	Information must be protected as it was created for the purpose of making a disclosure or in the course of an investigation into a disclosure under the PSDPA.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 16.6^{table 1 note *}	Information must be protected as it was obtained or created by the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligent Committee of Parliamentarians or on its behalf in the course of fulfilling its mandate.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 17	Access may be refused as disclosure would reasonably be expected to threaten the safety of individuals.	no	yes	no	yes
Paragraph 18(a)	Access may be refused as records contain trade secrets or financial, commercial, scientific or technical information that belongs to the Government of Canada of substantial value.	no	yes	yes	no
Paragraph 18(b)	Access may be refused as records contain information expected to prejudice the competitive position of a government institution or interfere with contractual or other negotiations.	no	yes	no	yes
Paragraph 18(c)	Access may be refused as records contain scientific or technical information obtained through research by an employee of a government institution, the disclosure of which could deprive the employee of priority of publication.	no	yes	no	yes
Paragraph 18(d)	Access may be refused as records contain information expected to: materially injure the financial interests of a government institution; materially injure the ability of the Government of Canada to manage the economy of Canada; or result in an undue benefit to any person, including information relating to the operation of financial institutions, or the sale of property, among others.	no	yes	no	yes
Section 18.1	Access may be refused as records contain trade secrets or financial, commercial, scientific or technical information which belongs to and has been treated as confidential by: Canada Post Corporation Export Development Canada Public Sector Pension Investment Board VIA Rail Canada Inc.	no	yes	yes	no
Subsection 19(1)	Information must be protected as it is personal information as defined in Section 3 of the Privacy Act.	yes	no^{table 1 note **}	yes	no
Paragraph 20(1)(a)	Information must be protected as it contains trade secrets of a third party.	yes	no^{table 1 note **}	yes	no
Paragraph 20(1)(b)	Information must be protected as it is confidential financial, commercial, scientific or technical information supplied to a government institution by a third party and is consistently treated as confidential by the third party.	yes	no^{table 1 note **}	yes	no
Paragraph 20(1)(b.1)	Information must be protected as it was supplied in confidence to a government institution by a third party in order to prepare, maintain, test or implement emergency management plans and which concerns the vulnerabilities of the third party’s structures, systems, or networks.	yes	no^{table 1 note **}	yes	no
Paragraph 20(1)(c)	Information must be protected as it could reasonably be expected to cause material financial loss or gain to a third party, or could reasonably be expected to prejudice the competitive position of the third party.	yes	no^{table 1 note **}	no	yes
Paragraph 20(1)(d)	Information must be protected as it could reasonably be expected to interfere with contractual or other negotiations of a third party.	yes	no	no	yes
Section 20.1^{table 1 note *}	Information must be protected as it is advice or information relating to investment that the Public Sector Pension Investment Board has obtained in confidence from a third party and has consistently treated in a confidential manner.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 20.2^{table 1 note *}	Information must be protected as it is advice or information relating to investment that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has obtained in confidence from a third party and has consistently treated in a confidential manner.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 20.4^{table 1 note *}	Information must be protected as it has been consistently treated as confidential by the National Arts Centre Corporation that would reveal the terms of a contract for the services of a performing artist or the identity of a donor who has made a donation in confidence.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 21 (Government Operations)	Access may be refused as records contain information less than 20 years old and which is: Advice or recommendations developed by or for a government institution or a minister; Accounts of consultations or deliberations in which directors, officers or employees of a government institution, a minister or the minister’s staff participate; Positions or plans developed for negotiations carried out on behalf of the Government of Canada; or Plans relating to the management of personnel or the administration of a government institution that have not yet been put into operation.	no	yes	yes	no
Section 22	Access may be refused as records contain information relating to testing or auditing procedures or techniques if the disclosure would prejudice the use or results of particular tests or audits.	no	yes	no	yes
Section 22.1	Access may be refused as records contain a draft report of an internal audit of a government institution or any related audit working paper if the record came into existence less than fifteen years before the request was made.	no	yes	yes	no
Section 23	Access may be refused as records are subject to solicitor-client privilege.	no	yes	yes	no
Section 23.1	Access may be refused as records are subject to the privilege set out in section 16.1 of the Patent Act or section 51.13 of the Trade-marks Act.	no	yes	yes	no
Section 24	Information must be protected as disclosure is restricted as set out in Schedule II.	yes	no	yes	no
Section 26	Access may be refused as records will be published within 90 days of the request or within the time necessary for printing or translating the material for the purpose of printing it.	no	yes	yes	no

Exemption

Short Description of the Exemption

Mandatory

Discretionary

Class

Injury

Table 1 Notes

Table 1 Note 1

The exemption can only be claimed by the government institutions named in the provision.

Return to table 1 note * referrer

Table 1 Note 2

Where discretion is authorized.

Return to table 1 note ** referrer

Subsection 13(1)

Information must be protected as it was obtained in confidence from:

the government of a foreign state;
an international organization of states;
the government of a province;
a municipal or regional government established by or pursuant to an act of the legislature of a province or an institution of such a government; or
an Aboriginal government.

yes

no^{table 1 note **}

yes

Section 14

Federal - provincial affairs Access may be refused as it could be expected to be injurious to the Government of Canada’s conduct of federal-provincial affairs.

yes

Subsection 15(1)

Access may be refused as it could be expected to be injurious to the conduct of international affairs; the defence of Canada or any state allied or associated with Canada; or Canada’s efforts to detect, prevent or suppress subversive or hostile activities.

yes

Paragraph 16(1)(a)

Access may be refused as it was obtained or prepared by an investigative body (as per regulation) in the course of an investigation regarding: detecting, preventing or suppressing crime, enforcing any law of Canada or a province; or activities suspected of constituting threats to Canada’s security as set out in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act.

yes

Paragraph 16(1)(b)

Access may be refused as the records contain investigative techniques or plans for specific lawful investigations.

yes

Paragraph 16(1)(c)

Access may be refused as disclosure could be expected to be injurious to the enforcement of any law of Canada or a province or the conduct of lawful investigations.

yes

Paragraph 16(1)(d)

Access may be refused as disclosure could be expected to be injurious to the security of penal institutions.

yes

Subsection 16(2)

Access may be refused as the records contain information expected to aid in the commission of an offence. Includes, but is not limited to: information on criminal methods or techniques, technical information on weapons or potential weapons; or information on the vulnerabilities of buildings, structures or systems.

yes

Subsection 16(3)

Information must be protected as it was obtained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police while performing policing services for a province or municipality.

yes

Section 16.1^{table 1 note *}

Information must be protected as it was obtained or created by the Auditor General or Canada, the Commissioner of Official Languages, the Information Commissioner or the Privacy Commissioner during an investigation, examination or audit.

yes

Section 16.2^{table 1 note *}

Information must be protected as it was obtained from or created by the Commissioner of Lobbying or on their behalf in the course of an investigation by the Commissioner.

yes

Section 16.3^{table 1 note *}

Information must be protected as it was obtained or created by an individual who, in performing their functions under the Canada Elections Act, is conducting an investigation, examination, or review.

yes

Section 16.4^{table 1 note *}

Information must be protected as it was obtained or created by or on behalf of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner in the course of an investigation of a disclosure or an investigation commenced under section 33 of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA); or
Received by a conciliator while attempting to reach a settlement of a complaint filed under the subsection 19.1(1) of the PSDPA

yes

Section 16.5

Information must be protected as it was created for the purpose of making a disclosure or in the course of an investigation into a disclosure under the PSDPA.

yes

Section 16.6^{table 1 note *}

Information must be protected as it was obtained or created by the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligent Committee of Parliamentarians or on its behalf in the course of fulfilling its mandate.

yes

Section 17

Access may be refused as disclosure would reasonably be expected to threaten the safety of individuals.

yes

Paragraph 18(a)

Access may be refused as records contain trade secrets or financial, commercial, scientific or technical information that belongs to the Government of Canada of substantial value.

yes

Paragraph 18(b)

Access may be refused as records contain information expected to prejudice the competitive position of a government institution or interfere with contractual or other negotiations.

yes

Paragraph 18(c)

Access may be refused as records contain scientific or technical information obtained through research by an employee of a government institution, the disclosure of which could deprive the employee of priority of publication.

yes

Paragraph 18(d)

Access may be refused as records contain information expected to: materially injure the financial interests of a government institution; materially injure the ability of the Government of Canada to manage the economy of Canada; or result in an undue benefit to any person, including information relating to the operation of financial institutions, or the sale of property, among others.

yes

Section 18.1

Access may be refused as records contain trade secrets or financial, commercial, scientific or technical information which belongs to and has been treated as confidential by:

Canada Post Corporation
Export Development Canada
Public Sector Pension Investment Board
VIA Rail Canada Inc.

yes

Subsection 19(1)

Information must be protected as it is personal information as defined in Section 3 of the Privacy Act.

yes

no^{table 1 note **}

yes

Paragraph 20(1)(a)

Information must be protected as it contains trade secrets of a third party.

yes

no^{table 1 note **}

yes

Paragraph 20(1)(b)

Information must be protected as it is confidential financial, commercial, scientific or technical information supplied to a government institution by a third party and is consistently treated as confidential by the third party.

yes

no^{table 1 note **}

yes

Paragraph 20(1)(b.1)

Information must be protected as it was supplied in confidence to a government institution by a third party in order to prepare, maintain, test or implement emergency management plans and which concerns the vulnerabilities of the third party’s structures, systems, or networks.

yes

no^{table 1 note **}

yes

Paragraph 20(1)(c)

Information must be protected as it could reasonably be expected to cause material financial loss or gain to a third party, or could reasonably be expected to prejudice the competitive position of the third party.

yes

no^{table 1 note **}

yes

Paragraph 20(1)(d)

Information must be protected as it could reasonably be expected to interfere with contractual or other negotiations of a third party.

yes

Section 20.1^{table 1 note *}

Information must be protected as it is advice or information relating to investment that the Public Sector Pension Investment Board has obtained in confidence from a third party and has consistently treated in a confidential manner.

yes

Section 20.2^{table 1 note *}

Information must be protected as it is advice or information relating to investment that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has obtained in confidence from a third party and has consistently treated in a confidential manner.

yes

Section 20.4^{table 1 note *}

Information must be protected as it has been consistently treated as confidential by the National Arts Centre Corporation that would reveal the terms of a contract for the services of a performing artist or the identity of a donor who has made a donation in confidence.

yes

Section 21 (Government Operations)

Access may be refused as records contain information less than 20 years old and which is:

Advice or recommendations developed by or for a government institution or a minister;
Accounts of consultations or deliberations in which directors, officers or employees of a government institution, a minister or the minister’s staff participate;
Positions or plans developed for negotiations carried out on behalf of the Government of Canada; or
Plans relating to the management of personnel or the administration of a government institution that have not yet been put into operation.

yes

Section 22

Access may be refused as records contain information relating to testing or auditing procedures or techniques if the disclosure would prejudice the use or results of particular tests or audits.

yes

Section 22.1

Access may be refused as records contain a draft report of an internal audit of a government institution or any related audit working paper if the record came into existence less than fifteen years before the request was made.

yes

Section 23

Access may be refused as records are subject to solicitor-client privilege.

yes

Section 23.1

Access may be refused as records are subject to the privilege set out in section 16.1 of the Patent Act or section 51.13 of the Trade-marks Act.

yes

Section 24

Information must be protected as disclosure is restricted as set out in Schedule II.

yes

Section 26

Access may be refused as records will be published within 90 days of the request or within the time necessary for printing or translating the material for the purpose of printing it.

yes

Field Title	1. Year
Field Description	The year the request was completed by the government institutions
Field Format	YYYY (For example: 2020)
Mandatory/ Optional	Mandatory

Field Title

1. Year

Field Description

The year the request was completed by the government institutions

Field Format

YYYY (For example: 2020)

Mandatory/ Optional

Mandatory

Field Title	2. Month
Field Description	The month that the request was completed by the government institution
Field Format	The full name of the month the request was completed. For example, December (Note: An abbreviation of the month is not acceptable).
Mandatory/ Optional	Mandatory

Field Title

2. Month

Field Description

The month that the request was completed by the government institution

Field Format

The full name of the month the request was completed. For example, December (Note: An abbreviation of the month is not acceptable).

Mandatory/ Optional

Mandatory

Field Title	3. Request Number/Numéro de demande
Field Description	The unique identifier assigned to the request by the institution
Field Format	A-YYYY-##### : For example A-2020-01234
Mandatory/ Optional	Mandatory

Field Title

3. Request Number/Numéro de demande

Field Description

The unique identifier assigned to the request by the institution

Field Format

A-YYYY-##### : For example A-2020-01234

Mandatory/ Optional

Mandatory

Field Title	4. Request Description (English)
Field Description	Provide a clear and concise description of the completed request without identifying the requester or any other potentially sensitive, personal or redacted information. The description should be: Summarize the request in plain language that would make sense to Canadians; Reflect the final request; Contain useful key words; Reference specific dates (e.g. ‘covering 2015-2019’ vs. covering the last five years) and Refer to the specific institution (e.g. ‘all records from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’ vs. ‘all records from your institution’). Request terms, such as ‘please provide’ ‘a copy of’ ‘or all documentation related to’; internal file or reference numbers; and hyperlinks or web addresses should be removed
Field Format	Alpha-numeric; Free text
Mandatory/ Optional	Mandatory

Field Title

4. Request Description (English)

Field Description

Provide a clear and concise description of the completed request without identifying the requester or any other potentially sensitive, personal or redacted information. The description should be:

Summarize the request in plain language that would make sense to Canadians;
Reflect the final request;
Contain useful key words;
Reference specific dates (e.g. ‘covering 2015-2019’ vs. covering the last five years) and
Refer to the specific institution (e.g. ‘all records from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’ vs. ‘all records from your institution’).

Request terms, such as ‘please provide’ ‘a copy of’ ‘or all documentation related to’; internal file or reference numbers; and hyperlinks or web addresses should be removed

Field Format

Alpha-numeric; Free text

Mandatory/ Optional

Mandatory

Field Title	5. Request Summary (French)
Field Description	Provide a clear and concise description of the completed request without identifying the requester or any other potentially sensitive or redacted information. The field data should be: Summarized in plain language that would make sense to Canadians; Be updated as necessary to reflect changes to the initial request; Contain useful key words; Reference specific dates (e.g. ‘covering 2015-2019’ vs. covering the last five years) and Contain specific references to the institution (e.g. ‘all records from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’ vs. ‘all records from your institution’). Request terms, such as ‘please provide’ ‘a copy of ‘‘or all documentation related to’; internal file or reference numbers; and hyperlinks or web addresses should be removed
Field Format	Alpha-numeric; Free text
Mandatory/ Optional	Mandatory

Field Title

5. Request Summary (French)

Field Description

Provide a clear and concise description of the completed request without identifying the requester or any other potentially sensitive or redacted information. The field data should be:

Summarized in plain language that would make sense to Canadians;
Be updated as necessary to reflect changes to the initial request;
Contain useful key words;
Reference specific dates (e.g. ‘covering 2015-2019’ vs. covering the last five years) and
Contain specific references to the institution (e.g. ‘all records from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’ vs. ‘all records from your institution’).

Request terms, such as ‘please provide’ ‘a copy of ‘‘or all documentation related to’; internal file or reference numbers; and hyperlinks or web addresses should be removed

Field Format

Alpha-numeric; Free text

Mandatory/ Optional

Mandatory

Field Title	6. Disposition
Field Description	Indicate the request is whether the records were all disclosed, disclosed in part, all exempted, all excluded, or if not records exist.
Field Format	The status must be one of the five options: All disclosed Disclosed in part All exempted All excluded No records exist
Mandatory/ Optional	Mandatory

Field Title

6. Disposition

Field Description

Indicate the request is whether the records were all disclosed, disclosed in part, all exempted, all excluded, or if not records exist.

Field Format

The status must be one of the five options:

All disclosed
Disclosed in part
All exempted
All excluded
No records exist

Mandatory/ Optional

Mandatory

Field Title	7. Number of Pages
Field Description	The number of pages which were fully or partly provided to the requester, or a value of 0 if no records were released to the requester.
Field Format	Numeric. For example 0, 10 or 25
Mandatory/ Optional	Mandatory

Field Title

7. Number of Pages

Field Description

The number of pages which were fully or partly provided to the requester, or a value of 0 if no records were released to the requester.

Field Format

Numeric. For example 0, 10 or 25

Mandatory/ Optional

Mandatory

Field Title	8. Additional Information (English)
Description	Institutions can provide any additional information in this field in English.
Format Type	Free text
Example	The records provided were the most recent versions.
Mandatory/ Optional	Optional

Field Title

8. Additional Information (English)

Description

Institutions can provide any additional information in this field in English.

Format Type

Free text

Example

The records provided were the most recent versions.

Mandatory/ Optional

Optional

Field Title	9. Additional Information (French)
Description	Institutions can provide any additional information in this field in French.
Format Type	Free text
Example	Les documents fournis comprennent les versions les plus récentes.
Mandatory/ Optional	Optional

Field Title

9. Additional Information (French)

Description

Institutions can provide any additional information in this field in French.

Format Type

Free text

Example

Les documents fournis comprennent les versions les plus récentes.

Mandatory/ Optional

Optional