Principles for Assisting Applicants/Requesters (Duty to Assist)

Principles for assisting applicants

In processing your access request under the  Access to Information Act, we will:

1. Process your request without regard to your identity.
2. Offer reasonable assistance throughout the request process.
3. Provide information on the Access to Information Act, including information on the processing of your request and your right to complain to the Information Commissioner of Canada.
4. Inform you as appropriate and without undue delay when your request needs to be clarified.
5. Make every reasonable effort to locate and retrieve the requested records under the control of the government institution.
6. Apply limited and specific exemptions to the requested records.
7. Provide accurate and complete responses.
8. Provide timely access to the requested information.
9. Provide records in the format and official language requested, as appropriate.
10. Provide an appropriate location within the government institution to examine the requested information.

 Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act

Principles for assisting requesters

In processing your privacy request or correction request under the  Privacy Act, we will:

1. Process your request without regard to your identity.
2. Offer reasonable assistance throughout the request process.
3. Provide information on the Privacy Act, including information on the processing of your request and your right to complain to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
4. Inform you as appropriate and without undue delay when your request needs to be clarified.
5. Make every reasonable effort to locate and retrieve the requested personal information under the control of the government institution.
6. Apply limited and specific exemptions to the requested personal information.
7. Provide accurate and complete responses.
8. Provide timely access to the requested personal information.
9. Provide personal information in the format and official language requested, as appropriate.
10. Provide an appropriate location within the government institution to examine the requested personal information.

 Directive on Privacy Requests and Correction of Personal Information