The Requests portal is the starting point for all "actions." Here you can:
Create Requesters and Requests.
Assign, perfect, and complete Requests.
Add documents to the Request.
Deliver the documents to the Requester.
Close, cancel, or amend a Request.
Estimate the cost for a Request.
Bill the requester for that Request.
Make payment entries for collection.
View the documents that have been added to a Request.
Report on Requests.
What is a ATIP Request?
The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (ATIP) were enacted in 1985 and generally provide that any person has the right to access records under the control of a federal government institution. All agencies of the Canadian Government are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them, except for those records (or portions of them) that are protected from disclosure by the nine exemptions and three exclusions of the ATIP. This right of access is enforceable in court.
The ATIP does not, however, provide access to records held by state or local government agencies, or by private businesses or individuals. All states have their own statutes governing public access to state and local government records. State agencies should be consulted for further information about them. A Request may be an initial Request or an Appeal.
Initial Requests
Once the ATIP Office has processed a Request and fee related issues have been resolved, the ATIP office sends a written initial determination. In the majority of cases, a ATIP agency includes any documents that can be disclosed along with the determination letter, although in exceptional cases the documents themselves may be sent within a reasonable amount of time afterward.
The ATIP provides access to all federal agency records (or portions of those records) except for those records that are withheld under exemptions applicable under ATIP. The determination letter advises the Requester of whether any information is being withheld pursuant to one or more of the exemptions. When a page is withheld in its entirety, the ATIP office usually will either specify the number of pages being withheld or will make a reasonable effort to estimate the volume of withheld information.
Appeals
A Requester can file an administrative appeal for any of the reasons below:
The Requester is not satisfied with the initial response to his or her Request.
The Requester disagrees with the withholding of information.
The Requester believes that there are additional records responsive to the Request that have not been located.
He/she has requested expedited processing or a fee waiver, and the ATIP agency has not granted that request.
The Requester may also appeal determinations made by the fulfilling agency, including:
That what has been requested is not reasonably described.
That a record does not exist or cannot be located.
That a record is not readily reproducible in the form or format requested.
That the requested information is not a record subject to the ATIP.
Any disputed fee matter.
An Appeal must be received within sixty days of the date of receiving the final response letter from the ATIP office. All Appeals must be made in writing with a reference to the original Request number. If no Request number has been assigned, a copy of the agency's determination letter should be enclosed. Appeals can be filed by the original Requester or any other person acting on his/her behalf.
See Also: