Information Commissioner’s statement on the passage of Bill C-58

Gatineau, Quebec, June 21, 2019 - Today, the Governor General gave Royal Assent to Bill C-58, which has now become law. My office is ready to implement the legislation as passed by Parliament, which contains targeted amendments to the Access to Information Act that will have impacts on the operations of the Office of the Information Commissioner, as well as on federal institutions.

As Information Commissioner, I now have new responsibilities and authorities, including the power to order institutions to release records at the end of an investigation when I find that a complaint is well-founded. When appropriate, I will be able to issue such orders on new complaints that cannot satisfactorily be resolved through informal resolution mechanisms. I can now also publish the results of investigations. 

My office has been preparing for the implementation of these changes through a review of our investigation processes, a restructuring of parts of the organization, and by drafting new procedures. Some of these preparations are detailed in our annual report published on June 18, 2019.

My goal is to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible and ensure institutions have the information they need to comply with the new legislative requirements. To further this goal, I will be posting additional guidance for institutions and complainants in the coming weeks.

Caroline Maynard
Information Commissioner of Canada