Information Commissioner of Canada
Biography
Since her appointment as Information Commissioner of Canada in 2018, Caroline Maynard has advocated for an efficient and responsive access to information system while investigating thousands of complaints and pursuing litigation to enforce the law and uphold the right of access.
Prior to her appointment, Commissioner Maynard worked as a lawyer and senior executive. She was the Interim Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Military Grievances External Review Committee, where she also served as Director General of Operations and General Counsel for 11 years. Earlier in her career, she was Legal Counsel in the Office of the Judge Advocate General at National Defence and with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee. She also worked with the Canada Revenue Agency and in private practice.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke and has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1994. A native of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, she lives in the National Capital Region with her family.
Overview of tenure as Commissioner
From the moment she was first appointed, obtaining results for Canadians has been Commissioner Maynard’s top priority. Focused on ensuring that the work of her office is open and transparent, she has published reports and guidance to help institutions and Canadians better understand the law and the investigations process, thereby reducing timelines and improving productivity. She is the first Information Commissioner of Canada with the authority to issue orders to institutions and has not hesitated to use this power when necessary, since 2019.
Commissioner Maynard has also initiated multiple investigations to address systemic access-related issues within institutions subject to the Act, making recommendations aimed at improving processes and client service in order to enhance transparency and efficiency. In addition to tabling her annual reports and special reports on her investigations in Parliament, Commissioner Maynard has appeared before many Parliamentary committees to testify on the state of the access to information system and promote changes that would enhance the law and its administration.
Commissioner Maynard has spoken at numerous national and international conferences on the importance of transparency. She was also the first Information Commissioner to act as Privacy Commissioner of Canada in 2022.