About the Office of the Information Commissioner

The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) was established in 1983 under the Access to Information Act to support the work of the Information Commissioner.

OIC employees carry out confidential investigations into complaints about federal institutions’ handling of access requests, giving both complainants and institutions the opportunity to present their positions on the matters under investigation.

The OIC strives to maximize compliance with the Act. The Commissioner has a wide range of tools, activities and powers at her disposal. These include negotiating with complainants and institutions without the need for formal investigations, and making recommendations and/or issuing an order at the conclusion of investigations when complaints are well founded.

The OIC supports the Information Commissioner in her advisory role to Parliament and parliamentary committees on all matters pertaining to access to information. The OIC also actively makes the case for greater freedom of information in Canada through targeted initiatives such as Right to Know Week and ongoing dialogue with Canadians, Parliament and federal institutions, and the Commissioner’s provincial, territorial and international counterparts.

The Commissioner is supported by a staff of approximately 100 employees led by three deputy commissioners responsible for investigations and governance, legal services and public affairs, and corporate services, strategic planning and transformation services.