Annual Report on the Access to Information Act 2023-2024
ISSN 2561-8237 (Online)
Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Public Prosecution Service of Canada
- 3 The ATIP Office
- 4 Delegated authorities
- 5 Performance
- 6 Proactive publication
- 7 Training and awareness activities
- 8 Policies, guidelines, and procedures
- 9 Complaints and investigations
- 10 Monitoring compliance
- 11 Reading room
- 12 Appendix A – Delegation order
- 13 Appendix B – Statistical report on the Access to Information Act
- 14 Appendix C – Supplemental statistical report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act
1 Introduction
The Access to Information Act (the Act) came into force on July 1, 1983. The purpose of the Act is to enhance the accountability and transparency of federal government institutions in order to promote an open and democratic society and enable public debate on the conduct of those institutions. As part of that purpose, the Act provides a right of access to information found in records under the control of a government institution, in accordance with the following principles:
- Government information should be available to the public;
- Necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific; and
- Decisions on the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independently of government.
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) became subject to the Act when it was established as an independent organization on December 12, 2006, with the coming into force of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act (Part 3 of the Federal Accountability Act).
Pursuant to section 94 of the Access to Information Act and section 20 of the Service Fees Act, this 2023-2024 Annual Report on the Act has been prepared for tabling in the House of Commons and the Senate. It provides an analysis of the information contained in the PPSC’s Statistical Report on the Act. It also includes information on emerging trends, training activities, internal policies, guidelines, and procedures with respect to the PPSC’s administration of the Act. Because the PPSC does not have any subsidiaries, information in that regard has not been included.
2 The Public Prosecution Service of Canada
The PPSC’s mandate is set out in the Director of Public Prosecutions Act (DPPA). The DPPA empowers the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), as Deputy Attorney General of Canada, to:
- Initiate and conduct federal prosecutions;
- Intervene in proceedings that raise a question of public interest that may affect the conduct of prosecutions or related investigations;
- Issue guidelines to federal prosecutors;
- Advise law enforcement agencies or investigative bodies on general matters relating to prosecutions and on particular investigations that may lead to prosecutions;
- Communicate with the media and the public on all matters that involve the initiation and conduct of prosecutions;
- Exercise the authority of the Attorney General of Canada in respect of private prosecutions; and
- Exercise any other power or carry out any other duty or function assigned by the Attorney General of Canada that is compatible with the office of the DPP.
The DPPA also empowers the DPP to:
- Initiate and conduct prosecutions under the Canada Elections Act; and
- Act, when requested by the Attorney General of Canada, in matters under the Extradition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act.
The DPP has the rank and status of a deputy head of a department and, in this capacity, is responsible for the management of the PPSC as a distinct government institution.
3 The ATIP Office
The ATIP Office holds primary responsibility for the implementation and administration of the Access to Information Act, along with the Privacy Act (collectively known as ATIP). The Office deals directly with the public in relation to access to information requests, liaises with Offices of Primary Interest (the subject matter experts) to prepare responses, and serves as the centre of ATIP expertise within the PPSC.
The ATIP Office fulfills its responsibilities by:
- Processing access to information requests in accordance with the Access to Information Act, the Access to Information Regulations (the Regulations), and the Treasury Board of Canada’s policies, directives, and guidelines;
- Responding to consultations submitted by other federal government institutions or other levels of government on PPSC records being considered for release, including the review of solicitor-client privilege in records related to criminal proceedings;
- Providing advice to PPSC managers and employees regarding the application and interpretation of the Act, the Regulations, and Treasury Board policies and directives;
- Reviewing PPSC policies, procedures, and agreements as well as making recommendations to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the Act;
- Monitoring the PPSC’s compliance with the Act, the Regulations, and Treasury Board policies and directives;
- Communicating with investigators of the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada to resolve complaints filed against the PPSC;
- Reviewing documents relevant to proactive publication prior to their publication on the PPSC’s website, so that they do not contain information that is subject to exemptions or exclusions under the Act;
- Delivering training sessions intended to familiarize the PPSC’s managers and employees with the requirements of the Act, the Regulations, and Treasury Board policies and directives;
- Updating the PPSC’s chapter of the federal government’s publication known as Info Source: Sources of Government and Employee Information;
- Submitting an annual statistical report on the administration of the Act to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS);
- Preparing an annual report on the administration of the Act for tabling in both Houses of Parliament; and
- Posting summaries of completed access to information requests on the Open Government Portal.
3.1 Organizational structure
The Director General, Communications and Parliamentary Affairs (CPA), acts as the PPSC’s ATIP Coordinator. The Director of the ATIP Office reports to the Director General, CPA.
During the period from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, the ATIP Office comprised the Director, two (2) Senior Advisors, two (2) Advisors, and one (1) ATIP Officer. There was one (1) consultant during this time. The position of one (1) of the Advisors became vacant midway through the fiscal year.
Section 96 of the Act allows for the PPSC to exchange ATIP services with another government institution within the same ministerial portfolio. There were no such service agreements undertaken during this period.
The following chart outlines the organizational structure of the ATIP Office on March 31, 2024:
Text Version
- ATIP Director
- Senior ATIP Policy and Operations Advisor
- ATIP Officer
- Senior ATIP Policy and Operations Advisor
- ATIP Advisor
- ATIP Advisor
- Senior ATIP Policy and Operations Advisor
Part 2 of the Act requires that government institutions proactively publish popular types of government information within certain timelines. Responsibilities under Part 2 are shared between several corporate services at the PPSC. The ATIP Office acts as a centre of expertise for proactive publication and reviews many of the proposed disclosures prior to publication. The following sections at the PPSC are responsible for ensuring that their information is published online within timelines:
- The Finance and Acquisitions Directorate publishes travel and hospitality expenses for senior officials as well as contracts and amendments over $10,000;
- The Human Resources Directorate publishes the reclassification of public servant positions at the PPSC;
- The Ministerial and Parliamentary Affairs team publishes the titles and reference numbers of briefing notes prepared for the DPP and the Attorney General of Canada;
- The Ministerial and Parliamentary Affairs team and the Communications team publish briefing materials, also known as transition binders, that are intended for a new or incoming DPP or Attorney General of Canada, when applicable; and
- The ATIP Office, Communications team, and the Strategic Planning and Performance Measurement Unit ensure that their respective annual reports tabled in Parliament are also published online.
Other publication requirements under Part 2 of the Act do not apply to the PPSC since the relevant documents are not in use at the organization. For example, the PPSC does not administer a grants and contributions program, nor does it prepare briefing materials for the purpose of a Parliamentary Question Period or appearances before Parliamentary Committees.
Further information on how the PPSC administers Part 2 of the Act is available in section 6 (Proactive publication) and section 10 (Monitoring compliance), respectively, of this report.
4 Delegated authorities
Pursuant to subsection 95(1) of the Act, the head of a government institution may designate one or more officers or employees of that institution, by order, to exercise or perform any of the powers, duties, or functions of the head of the institution under the Act.
The DPP, as the “head of institution,” has designated this authority to the Director General, CPA, as well as the Senior Director General, Corporate Services, and the ATIP Director. The ATIP Director exercises this authority in the absence of the Director General, CPA. The Senior Director General, Corporate Services, exercises this authority in the absence of both the Director General, CPA, and the ATIP Director.
A signed copy of the ATIP Delegation Order is available in Appendix A of this report.
5 Performance
The following section provides an overview of key data on the PPSC’s performance for the fiscal year, as reflected in the 2023-2024 Statistical Report on the Act in Appendix B of this report as well as the 2023-2024 Supplemental Statistical Report in Appendix C.
5.1 Requests received under the Access to Information Act
5.1.1 Number of requests
The PPSC completely received nearly all access to information requests via an online channel, known as the ATIP Online Request Service. This is part of a larger trend towards predominantly digital ATIP services.
The PPSC received 28 formal access to information requests in 2023-2024. This is far less than the 75 received in 2022-2023, which was a record year for the PPSC and largely attributable to the high-profile subject matter of the requests from that period.
Additionally, 16 requests were carried over from the previous fiscal year. Altogether, the PPSC had 44 requests to process in 2023-2024.
Since its creation, the PPSC has received 605 access to information requests in total. Despite a single, sharp rise in 2023-2024, the number of requests received in recent years could be finally stabilizing, as compared with the gradual increases of the previous years, with some fluctuations throughout. The following chart illustrates this trend:
Text Version
Fiscal year | Number of requests |
---|---|
2006-2007 | 3 |
2007-2008 | 11 |
2008-2009 | 15 |
2009-2010 | 18 |
2010-2011 | 33 |
2011-2012 | 24 |
2012-2013 | 29 |
2013-2014 | 44 |
2014-2015 | 38 |
2015-2016 | 31 |
2016-2017 | 45 |
2017-2018 | 43 |
2018-2019 | 54 |
2019-2020 | 47 |
2020-2021 | 33 |
2021-2022 | 34 |
2022-2023 | 75 |
2023-2024 | 28 |
Total | 605 |
5.1.2 Subject matter
The subject matter of the 28 requests received in 2023-2024 was varied and often involved overlapping categories. However, a few key themes can be observed:
- Reflecting the mandate of the PPSC, 79% of requests received related to criminal and regulatory prosecutions and investigations.
- Notably, applicants were also interested in records on the following subjects: human resources and workplace matters; briefing materials; Indigenous relations; and data on a variety of topics, such as the PPSC workforce, expenditures, and prosecution trends.
5.1.3 Sources
For the 28 requests received in 2023-2024, 43% of applicants self-identified as general members of the public.
Another 14% declined to self-identify. The proportion of applicants declining to self-identify had been growing steadily over the past few years until the current fiscal year. In 2022-2023, approximately half of the 75 requests received were from applicants who declined, compared with 32% in 2021-2022 and 18% in 2020-2021.
The following chart shows the distribution of all requests received in 2023-2024 by source:
Text Version
Source | Number of requests | % |
---|---|---|
Media | 7 | 25% |
Academia | 2 | 7% |
Business | 3 | 11% |
Public | 12 | 43% |
Decline to identify | 4 | 14% |
Total | 28 | 100% |
5.1.4 Informal requests
An informal request is any request for information made to the ATIP Office of a government institution that is not processed under the Act. Fees cannot be charged for informal requests and there are no legislated deadlines for response. Additionally, the applicant has no legal right of complaint to the OIC.
In 2023-2024, the PPSC received all but two (2) of its informal requests online through the Open Government Portal.
The PPSC typically receives the majority of informal requests through the online Open Government Portal, where the PPSC publishes a monthly summary of completed access to information requests. Applicants have the ability to submit an informal request through the Portal for any records that were released in response to completed requests.
During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the PPSC received 28 informal requests, 9 fewer than in 2022-2023. Additionally, three (3) informal requests were carried over from the previous period. Altogether, the PPSC had 31 informal requests to process in 2023-2024.
The PPSC responded to almost all of these requests during the fiscal year, with the exception of one (1), and all but two (2) of the completed requests were closed within the first 15 days of receipt. The informal request outstanding as of March 31, 2024, is complex in nature, as the applicant had requested copies of all available records previously released by the PPSC, and therefore this file requires much more time to process than typical informal requests.
The effort involved in processing all 30 informal requests closed in 2023-2024 required that the PPSC re-release a total of 201,861 pages to informal applicants, a massive increase from the 8,644 pages processed during the previous period. The majority of the pages re-released this fiscal year consisted of a single data file that was requested twice.
Throughout the fiscal year, the ATIP Office also prepared responses to Parliamentary Questions as well as provided advice and recommendations to PPSC employees regarding various reports on audits, workplace violence investigations, and information to be proactively published. The ATIP Office reviewed these reports to ensure that sensitive information, such as solicitor-client privileged and personal information, was identified and protected prior to publication or disclosure to the relevant parties.
5.2 Requests closed during the fiscal year
5.2.1 Disposition of requests
The PPSC responded to 40 formal access to information requests in 2023-2024, a 44% decrease from the 72 requests closed in 2023-2024, which reflected the record number of requests to be processed that year. The number of requests closed this fiscal year represents 91% of the 44 requests that were received in 2023-2024 or carried forward from the previous period.
Because the PPSC closed substantially more requests than it received this fiscal year, few requests remained outstanding at the end of the year. As compared with the 16 requests carried forward from the previous period, only four (4) requests remained outstanding by March 31, 2024:
- One (1) was received at the end of this fiscal year;
- Two (2) were received in 2021-2022; and
- One (1) was received in 2019-2020.
These four (4) requests were carried forward to the next fiscal year, half of which were still within legislated timelines at the time. Regarding the other two (2) requests, both involve complex subject matter related to high-profile prosecution cases, and one (1) of them consists of a particularly high volume of records to process, at over 27,000 pages. Extensions to the initial statutory deadline were taken on both files to manage the workload. Despite these extensions, further time is needed to process these requests and they are now past the extended deadline.
For requests closed in 2023-2024, the disposition is as follows:
Text Version
Disposition of requests | Number of requests | % |
---|---|---|
All disclosed | 7 | 17% |
Disclosed in part | 25 | 62% |
No records exist | 6 | 15% |
Transferred | 1 | 3% |
Abandoned | 1 | 3% |
Total | 40 | 100% |
Of the 40 requests closed in 2023-2024, records were fully or partially disclosed in 32 cases, which represents the majority of all completed requests. On average, 74% of requests closed in the last five fiscal years resulted in full or partial disclosure of records to applicants.
During the 2023-2024 reporting period, the PPSC closed the following requests which did not result in the disclosure of any records on the part of the organization:
- No records exist
- Six (6) requests could not be processed because relevant records under the control of the PPSC did not exist. Where possible, applicants were advised of other government institutions that may have records and were provided with contact information accordingly.
- Abandoned
- One (1) request was abandoned by the applicant. In most abandoned cases, clarification is needed from the applicants in order to process their requests. When the applicants do not provide clarification, the requests are deemed as abandoned. In other cases, the applicants choose to abandon their requests.
- Transferred
- One (1) request was transferred to the Department of Justice Canada. Under section 8 of the Act, requests can be transferred to another federal government institution that has a greater interest in the subject, either because the relevant records relate to their mandate or could have originated from their institution. When an institution accepts a transferred request, they become responsible for processing it and responding to the applicant.
5.2.2 Number of pages processed
While there were fewer requests closed in 2023-2024 than those in the previous period, a significantly greater number of pages were processed to close them. The PPSC processed a total of 141,783 pages, as compared with the 16,729 pages handled in 2022-2023. 70% of the pages processed in 2023-2024 consisted of a single, atypically large data file that was requested by an applicant. This request aside, the PPSC still managed to process a total of 42,684 pages in response to the other requests closed this fiscal year.
The PPSC ATIP Office also reviewed an additional 19,547 pages received from across the organization. These pages were deemed as not relevant to the requests and were therefore not included as part of the responses.
The following is a summary of the relevant pages processed by the PPSC over the last five fiscal years:
Text Version
Fiscal year | Number of pages |
---|---|
2019-2020 | 20,206 |
2020-2021 | 18,652 |
2021-2022 | 33,359 |
2022-2023 | 16,729 |
2023-2024 | 141,789 |
Total | 230,729 |
5.2.3 Completion time
Of the 40 requests closed in 2023-2024, 21 requests were processed within the initial 30-day statutory deadline. This is 52% less than the 44 requests closed in 2022-2023 within the same timeframe, which reflects the increased number of pages involved in processing many of the requests closed this fiscal year. Larger page volumes almost always correlate to more time needed for processing requests to completion.
An additional four (4) requests were processed in 2023-2024 within the next 30 days and another ten (10) were closed between 61 and 365 days. The five (5) remaining requests were closed within longer periods, ranging between 386 and 761 days, on account of their complexity or the large volume of pages involved.
Overall, the PPSC has processed 67% of the access to information requests closed over the last five fiscal years within 30 days of receipt. The proportion of requests closed within this timeframe each year is as follows:
Text Version
Fiscal year | % of closed requests |
---|---|
2019-2020 | 79% |
2020-2021 | 96% |
2021-2022 | 45% |
2022-2023 | 61% |
2023-2024 | 53% |
The following is a breakdown of the number of days taken to respond to all requests closed in 2023-2024:
Text Version
Completion time | Number of requests | % |
---|---|---|
1 to 15 days | 4 | 10% |
16 to 30 days | 17 | 43% |
31 to 60 days | 4 | 10% |
61 to 120 days | 6 | 15% |
121 to 180 days | 0 | 0% |
181 to 365 days | 4 | 10% |
More than 365 days | 5 | 13% |
Total | 40 | 100% |
5.2.4 Exemptions
The right of access to information in government records is subject to limited and specific exceptions. Limitations to the right of access are set out in sections 13 through 24 of the Act. Section 26 also sets out an administrative exception relating to the publication of information.
The following is a breakdown of the exemptions applied by the PPSC in 2023-2024 for closed requests:
Text Version
Exemption | Number of requests |
---|---|
Paragraph 13(1)(e) | 1 |
Section 14 | 1 |
Subparagraph 16(1)(a)(i) | 1 |
Paragraph 16(1)(b) | 1 |
Paragraph 16(1)(c) | 3 |
Subsection 16(2) | 8 |
Paragraph 16(2)(c) | 5 |
Subsection 19(1) | 22 |
Paragraph 20(1)(c) | 1 |
Paragraph 21(1)(a) | 5 |
Paragraph 21(1)(b) | 13 |
Section 23 | 17 |
Over the last five fiscal years, the PPSC has most often invoked subsection 19(1) (personal information) and section 23 (solicitor-client privilege) of the Act when exempting information from disclosure. This reflects the mandate of the PPSC to conduct federal prosecutions, which often involve personal information, and to provide legal advice to law enforcement agencies and investigative bodies on matters relating to prosecutions.
5.2.5 Exclusions
Records or parts thereof to which the Act does not apply are considered to be “excluded.” Pursuant to section 68, the Act does not apply to published material or material available for purchase by the public, library or museum material preserved solely for public record, or material placed in Library and Archives Canada. Records containing confidences of the King’s Privy Council of Canada, also known as Cabinet confidences, and which have been in existence for less than 20 years are also excluded from the Act pursuant to section 69.
The PPSC excluded information in response to one (1) request closed in 2023-2024, invoking paragraphs 69(1)(d) and 69(1)(g) to protect Cabinet confidences relating to communications between Ministers. This is the fifth reporting period in a row wherein the PPSC has invoked exclusions.
5.2.6 Format of information released
Similar to previous years, information was released to applicants exclusively in electronic format for all 33 requests closed in 2023-2024 that involved full or partial disclosure of records.
Electronic releases have consistently outnumbered paper-based responses in recent years. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the PPSC, along with the majority of government agencies and the private sector, had shifted its services to a digital-first environment in order to comply with public health measures. While paper-based disclosure packages continue to remain available so that the request process is accessible to all Canadians, PPSC applicants no longer request this option.
The following illustrates how this shift has occurred over the last five fiscal years:
Text Version
Fiscal year | Paper | Electronic |
---|---|---|
2019-2020 | 2% | 98% |
2020-2021 | 0% | 100% |
2021-2022 | 0% | 100% |
2022-2023 | 0% | 100% |
2023-2024 | 0% | 100% |
5.2.7 Complexity
Due to the nature of the PPSC’s work, processing requests can be challenging, and requests are regularly deemed “complex” based on a number of factors.
For example, records held by the PPSC often contain information relating to criminal or regulatory investigations or prosecutions that also frequently involve other organizations at the federal, provincial, or territorial level. Consultations with these organizations may be necessary in order to determine whether certain records can be disclosed. Consultations were the main factor driving complexity in two (2) requests closed in 2023-2024.
Legal advice may also be sought by the ATIP Office regarding the relevancy or disclosure of records, which can add complexity to how a request is processed. This was predominantly the case for another request closed within the reporting period.
Of those closed during the fiscal year, 27 requests were deemed to be complex for a variety of other, sometimes overlapping reasons:
- Many of these requests required that the PPSC retrieve records from regions across the country, including three (3) requests that involved every regional office across the country. In general, regional searches most frequently included the PPSC Ontario Regional Office in 2023-2024, which was tasked 12 times throughout the year.
- Some requests are complex due to high-profile or sensitive topics.
- Database searches were required to process many requests, which often involve extensive coordination between ATIP officials, business analysts, and subject matter experts to retrieve, package, and validate relevant data.
5.2.8 Deemed refusals
Requests that are not closed within the initial 30-day statutory deadline or within a timeframe covered by an extension under the Act are referred to as “deemed refusals.” Further information on the circumstances in which an extension to the original deadline is permitted by the Act is available in section 5.3 (Extensions) of this report.
The majority of the 40 requests closed in 2023-2024 were responded to within the initial deadline or within an extended timeframe, representing 80% of cases.
There were eight (8) deemed refusals in the reporting period, all of which were late due to interference with operations and workload. Many of these requests involved complex subject matter and several thousand pages to review. For two (2) requests in particular, additional effort was required on the part of the ATIP Office to examine a large number of pages provided by PPSC officials in order to determine their relevancy. In six (6) cases, extensions to the initial statutory deadline were taken under the Act based on estimated processing timelines, while extensions were not considered in the remaining two (2) cases. For all eight (8) requests, additional time was needed beyond initial expectations to complete the review of records. As a result, these requests were closed late, the majority of which between 181 and 365 days past deadline.
5.2.9 Requests for translation
Just as it has been the case over the last five fiscal years, the PPSC did not receive any requests from applicants in 2023-2024 to translate records from one official language to the other.
5.3 Extensions
Section 9 of the Act allows government institutions to extend the 30-day statutory deadline for processing a request in cases where institutions are required to review or search through a large number of records, or when consultations with other institutions or third parties are necessary.
The PPSC took 17 extensions to close requests during the 2023-2024 reporting period, six (6) less than in the previous fiscal year but on par with earlier periods. Over the last five fiscal years, on average, the PPSC has taken 15 extensions each year. Overall, requests have become increasingly complex to process and extensions are needed to meet obligations under the Act, whether due to the volume of pages to process, extensive search for relevant records, or consultations with other government institutions.
13 extensions were taken during the current fiscal year because responding to the requests within the original timeframe would have interfered with the PPSC’s operations, while the remaining four (4) were taken to consult other government institutions or third parties.
Three (3) extensions in 2023-2024 were taken for 30 days or less, while the lengths varied between 31 days and a year for 13 other extensions. The other (1) remaining case involved an extension initially taken for 552 days to process thousands of pages potentially relevant to the request, though the applicant later abandoned the request before the majority of pages could be processed.
The following table summarizes the length of extensions taken in 2023-2024 and reasons:
Length of extensions | Reasons for extensions | ||
---|---|---|---|
Paragraph 9(1)(a) - Interference with operations | Paragraph 9(1)(b) - Consultation | Paragraph 9(1)(c) - Third-party notice | |
30 days or less | 2 | 1 | 0 |
31 to 60 days | 5 | 1 | 1 |
61 to 120 days | 2 | 0 | 0 |
121 to 180 days | 2 | 0 | 0 |
181 to 365 days | 1 | 1 | 0 |
More than 365 days | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 13 | 3 | 1 |
5.4 Consultations received from other institutions
5.4.1 Number of consultations
The PPSC received 15 consultations from other government institutions for processing under the Act in 2023-2024. This is 44% fewer than in the previous fiscal year.
Since its creation on December 12, 2006, the PPSC has received 669 access to information consultations in total. The following chart illustrates the varying number of consultations received by the PPSC each fiscal year, though this amount has been gradually decreasing in recent reporting periods:
Note: As the PPSC was created on December 12, 2006, data for 2006-2007 only reflects a three-month period.
Text Version
Fiscal year | Number of consultations |
---|---|
2006-2007 | 7 |
2007-2008 | 53 |
2008-2009 | 52 |
2009-2010 | 40 |
2010-2011 | 56 |
2011-2012 | 58 |
2012-2013 | 35 |
2013-2014 | 45 |
2014-2015 | 32 |
2015-2016 | 31 |
2016-2017 | 45 |
2017-2018 | 52 |
2018-2019 | 32 |
2019-2020 | 37 |
2020-2021 | 21 |
2021-2022 | 31 |
2022-2023 | 27 |
2023-2024 | 15 |
Total | 669 |
5.4.2 Sources of consultations
Of the 15 consultations received by the PPSC in 2023-2024, the Department of Justice Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency were the most frequent sources, at three (3) each. These consultations mainly pertained to prosecutions, as did many consultations received this fiscal year, which varied in complexity and page volume.
Only two (2) consultations originated from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) in 2023-2024, as compared with 17 during the previous period. This department had consistently been the top source for consultations in past reporting periods. The overall decline in consultations this fiscal year could therefore be attributed to the steep drop in TBS consultations. Unlike consultations pertaining to prosecutions, TBS consultations do not involve many pages or complex subject matter.
The following table identifies the number of consultations sent by each government institution in 2023-2024:
Source | Number of consultations | % |
---|---|---|
Note: Each percentage has been rounded to the nearest whole value. For this reason, the percentages set out in the table do not add up to an exact 100%. | ||
Canadian Food Inspection Agency | 3 | 20% |
Department of Justice Canada | 3 | 20% |
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat | 2 | 13% |
Environment and Climate Change Canada | 2 | 13% |
Employment and Social Development Canada | 1 | 7% |
Health Canada | 1 | 7% |
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada | 1 | 7% |
Statistics Canada | 1 | 7% |
Office of the Auditor General of Canada | 1 | 7% |
Total | 15 | 100% |
5.4.3 Disposition and recommendations
The PPSC responded to 14 of the 15 consultations received in 2023-2024, along with two (2) other consultations outstanding from the previous period, for a total of 16 consultations.
The one (1) consultation carried over to 2024-2025 was received at the end of the fiscal year and involved over a thousand pages. This consultation was still within negotiated timelines as of March 31, 2024.
Although there were fewer consultations closed in 2023-2024 than the 27 closed in the previous period, more pages were processed this fiscal year, reflecting the tendency that consultations concerning prosecutions involve a greater number of records than those from TBS. A total of 1,992 pages were processed for the 16 consultations that the PPSC closed in 2023-2024, 22% more than in 2022-2023. This is an average of 125 pages processed per consultation, as compared with 61 pages in the previous period.
Over the last five years, the PPSC has processed an average of 1,760 pages each year in response to consultations. The number of pages processed during this timespan is as follows:
Text Version
Fiscal year | Number of pages processed |
---|---|
2019-2020 | 1067 |
2020-2021 | 1763 |
2021-2022 | 2340 |
2022-2023 | 1636 |
2023-2024 | 1992 |
Of the 16 consultations closed in 2023-2024, the PPSC recommended that the other government institutions fully disclose records in three (3) cases and partially disclose records in the other 13 cases.
Overall, the PPSC has completed 134 consultations over the last five fiscal years. During that time, the PPSC’s recommendations with respect to consultations have consistently leaned towards disclosure, whether in full or in part. The following chart illustrates this trend:
Text Version
Fiscal year | % of completed consultations |
---|---|
2019-2020 | 92% |
2020-2021 | 100% |
2021-2022 | 97% |
2022-2023 | 100% |
2023-2024 | 100% |
5.4.4 Completion time
Of the 16 consultations completed in 2023-2024, nearly 69% were processed within 30 days of receipt (11 cases in total). Over the last five fiscal years, 80% of consultations have been completed, on average, within the same number of days.
The PPSC responded to the five (5) other consultations between 31 to 120 days in 2023-2024.
The following chart breaks down the proportion of consultations completed within each timeframe during the reporting period:
Text Version
Completion time | Number of consultations | % |
---|---|---|
1 to 15 days | 2 | 12% |
16 to 30 days | 9 | 56% |
31 to 60 days | 3 | 19% |
61 to 120 days | 2 | 13% |
Total | 16 | 100% |
5.5 Consultations on Cabinet confidences
A consultation with the PPSC Corporate Counsel regarding subsection 69(1) of the Actwas carried out for one (1) request closed in 2023-2024. Cabinet confidences were identified in some of the relevant records and were excluded from release accordingly. Following consultation, a total of 164 pages were disclosed in response to the applicant.
5.6 Service fees and costs
The Act authorizes the collection of fees for processing formal requests for information. In accordance with the Treasury Board’s Directive on Access to Information Requests, the PPSC waives all prescribed fees other than the $5 application fee set out in paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Regulations.
The Service Fees Act requires a responsible authority to report annually to Parliament on the fees collected by the government institution. Therefore, the information below is also being reported in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Service Fees Act.
The PPSC collected a total of $140 in application fee revenue for 28 requests received in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and waived $0 during this same period.
Throughout the fiscal year, the PPSC spent a total of $450,882 administering the Access to Information Act, of which salaries accounted for 72% of expenditures at $325,264, while goods and services accounted for the remaining $125,618. No overtime expenditures were incurred during this period.
The substantial increase in expenditures related to goods and services, as compared with previous fiscal years, is due to the purchase of licenses for new ATIP case management software as well as the services of an ATIP consultant to process a complex access to information request.
6 Proactive publication
The PPSC is a government institution subject to proactive publication requirements set out in Part 2 of the Act. Various corporate services at the PPSC are responsible for ensuring that their respective publications are posted online within the legislated timelines. This includes establishing a process for translating and formatting the information according to online publishing standards, while involving relevant stakeholders as needed, such as the ATIP Office. The DPP’s approval is required for all legislated publications before they are made available online or tabled in Parliament. Further information on how the PPSC manages proactive publication is available in section 3.1 (Organizational structure) and section 10 (Monitoring compliance), respectively, of this report.
The following table summarizes the publications that the organization was responsible for posting online in 2023-2024 as well as its rate of compliance with legislated timelines:
Table 3: Proactive publication
Legislative Requirement | Section | Publication Timeline | Institutional Requirement |
---|---|---|---|
Travel expenses | 82 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement | 100% |
Hospitality expenses | 83 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement | 100% |
Reports tabled in Parliament | 84 | Within 30 days after tabling | 100% |
Legislative Requirement | Section | Publication Timeline | Institutional Requirement |
---|---|---|---|
Contracts over $10,000 | 86 | Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter | 75% |
Grants and contributions over $25,000 | 87 | Within 30 days after the quarter | Not applicable (no such program at the PPSC) |
Packages of briefing materials prepared for new or incoming deputy heads or equivalent | 88(a) | Within 120 days after appointment | Not applicable (no new or incoming Director of Public Prosecutions in 2023-2024) |
Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared for a deputy head or equivalent, that is received by their office | 88(b) | Within 30 days after the end of the month received | 100% |
Packages of briefing materials prepared for a deputy head or equivalent’s appearance before a committee of Parliament | 88(c) | Within 120 days after appearance | Not applicable (no such materials prepared at the PPSC) |
Legislative Requirement | Section | Publication Timeline | Institutional Requirement |
---|---|---|---|
Reclassification of positions | 85 | Within 30 days after the quarter | 100% |
Legislative Requirement | Section | Publication Timeline | Institutional Requirement |
---|---|---|---|
Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for new or incoming ministers | 74(a) | Within 120 days after appointment | 100% |
Titles and reference numbers of memoranda prepared by a government institution for the minister, which are received by their office | 74(b) | Within 30 days after the end of the month received | 100% |
Package of question period notes prepared by a government institution for the minister and in use on the last sitting day of the House of Commons in June and December | 74(c) | Within 30 days after last sitting day of the House of Common in June and December | Not applicable (no such materials prepared at the PPSC) |
Packages of briefing materials prepared by a government institution for a minister’s appearance before a committee of Parliament | 74(d) | Within 120 days after appearance | Not applicable (no such materials prepared at the PPSC) |
Travel expenses | 75 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement | Not applicable (Department of Justice Canada publishes this information) |
Hospitality expenses | 76 | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement | Not applicable (Department of Justice Canada publishes this information) |
Contracts over $10,000 | 77 | Q1-3: Within 30 days after the quarter Q4: Within 60 days after the quarter | Not applicable (Department of Justice Canada publishes this information) |
Ministers’ Offices expenses | 78 | Within 120 days after the fiscal year | Not applicable (TBS publishes this information on behalf of all government institutions) |
The PPSC proactively published information within legislated timelines 100% of the time, with one exception. The organization posted contractual information within timelines for three (3) of the four (4) fiscal quarters. In the case where there was a delay, the PPSC uploaded the information to the Open Government Portal on time, but the data only became available the next day due to overnight publishing processes.
All proactively published information is available within the following online repositories:
- Travel and hospitality expenses, contracts over $10,000, briefing note titles and tracking numbers, and the reclassification of positions are on the Open Government Portal; and
- Reports tabled in Parliament are on the PPSC website, the Open Government Portal, and GC InfoBase.
7 Training and awareness activities
No formal training sessions were delivered to PPSC employees in 2023-2024.
Presentations were delivered in the past to raise awareness of corporate responsibilities regarding ATIP. These materials continue to be made available to all PPSC employees through the internal website. Communiqués on ATIP topics were also distributed throughout the year to all employees, which included promoting Right to Know Week 2023.
ATIP personnel provided informal learning to employees on an ad hoc basis regarding the processing of access to information requests and regularly provided advice to PPSC officials on the interpretation of the Act, including proactive publication.
8 Policies, guidelines, and procedures
8.1 ATIP governance structure
The PPSC ATIP Governance Structure was approved by the PPSC’s Executive Council in October 2011. It outlines the reporting relationships within the PPSC and establishes clear responsibilities for decision-making for the purposes of administering the Act.
8.2 Info Source
Info Source: Sources of Government and Employee Information is published on the Government of Canada’s canada.ca website. It provides information about the functions, programs, activities, and related information holdings of government institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
At least once a year, the PPSC ATIP Office reviews and updates information, if necessary, about the PPSC’s activities and information holdings in the publication. No updates specific to access to information were required in 2023-2024.
8.3 Initiatives to improve access to information
During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the PPSC ATIP Office continued to update office correspondence templates to ensure accuracy, improve communications with applicants and PPSC officials, and align with Treasury Board requirements.
No new or revised internal policies, guidelines, and procedures were implemented during the reporting period. The PPSC expects to develop new or revised instruments in coming years to align with updated Treasury Board directives supporting the Act and in preparation for open government initiatives and the ongoing modernization of ATIP digital services.
9 Complaints and investigations
Decisions made under the Actare subject to a right of review. This ensures government institutions’ compliance with their access to information obligations as well as fair treatment for all applicants.
The first level of review is a formal complaint made to the Information Commissioner of Canada. Following an investigation, the Commissioner has the power to order the release of information should they deem the complaint to be well-founded. No order has been issued to the PPSC to date. The second level of review is an application for judicial review to the Federal Court.
The PPSC reviews the outcomes of all Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) investigations and incorporates lessons learned into business processes, where appropriate.
One (1) new complaint was filed with the OIC against the PPSC in 2023-2024, while seven (7) other complaint investigations remained open from earlier periods. Altogether, the PPSC responded to eight (8) complaints throughout the year, the investigations of which were all completed by March 31, 2024. As a result, there were no open complaints at the start of the next reporting period.
In the case of the newly received complaint, the complainant alleged that the PPSC improperly applied exemptions under the Act. The PPSC’s position was that the redacted information was personal or consisted of confidential information belonging to a third party under contract with the PPSC. The OIC agreed and assessed that the complaint was not well-founded.
The other seven (7) complaint investigations closed during the fiscal year were resolved in the following ways:
- The OIC advised that they ceased investigations into two (2) requests before any findings could be made. In the first case, the complainant alleged that the PPSC failed to respond within legislative timelines. Earlier, the PPSC had initially extended the timeline to process several thousand pages relevant to the request. Without an extension, responding to the request would have significantly interfered with the organization’s operations. Despite the extension, the PPSC required additional time beyond what was initially anticipated to complete the review of records. The OIC sought formal representations from the PPSC to explain its reasons for missing the extended timeline, pursuant to section 35 of the Act. Processing was nearly complete at that point, and so when the PPSC released the relevant records to the complainant, the OIC ceased its investigation accordingly. In the second instance, another complainant alleged that the PPSC improperly excluded information under section 69 of the Act as Cabinet confidences. The complaint was later discontinued.
- The complainant in another case alleged that the PPSC failed to conduct a reasonable search for records, for which the PPSC provided representations under section 35 during the previous reporting period. The request involved a large, complex dataset not readily available in the manner requested by the applicant. This year, the PPSC arrived at a method for extracting the requested information from its database and was therefore able to fully disclose the dataset to the complainant. Accordingly, the OIC determined that the complaint was well-founded, but no further action was required by PPSC to resolve it.
- For three (3) other requests, the complainants in each alleged that the PPSC improperly applied exemptions under the Act when it released records in response. The various exemptions related to information subject to solicitor-client privilege, personal information, as well as government advice or recommendations. Section 35 representations were sought in some cases. For two (2) of these complaints, the OIC had determined that the complaints were not well-founded. In the case of the other, which was assessed as well-founded, the PPSC conducted additional research on the topic and revised its earlier assessment of the records accordingly. This time, the records were disclosed in full, which resolved the complaint.
- In the remaining case, the complainant alleged that the PPSC failed to respond within the time limits set out in the Act when it missed the extended deadline. The PPSC provided representations to explain the delay under section 35 of the Act, but the OIC did not accept the PPSC’s reasons. Accordingly, the Information Commissioner issued an initial report of findings under subsection 37(1) of the Act that the complaint was well-founded and advised of their intent to issue an order to disclose the records unless the PPSC responded to the request within an expedited timeframe. The PPSC accepted these recommendations. Once a response package was released to the complainant, the OIC concluded that an order was no longer necessary, and the matter was deemed to be resolved.
The following table summarizes the reasons for the complaint received by the PPSC in fiscal year 2023-2024 as well as the OIC’s findings for the concluded investigations:
Reason for complaint | Number of complaints | Results of investigations | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Well-founded | Not well-founded | Discontinued | OIC has yet to issue its findings | ||
Refusal – Exemptions and exclusions | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Refusal – General | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Delay | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
There were no applications for judicial review filed with the Federal Court in 2023-2024.
10 Monitoring compliance
The ATIP Office maintains a comprehensive statistical reporting and performance measurement system to track the processing of formal requests, informal requests, and consultations received by the PPSC.
Each ATIP staff member is responsible for monitoring the time taken to process files that they are assigned on a regular basis, while the Senior ATIP Advisors meet with the ATIP Director twice a week to review timelines and address challenges that could affect the PPSC’s ability to meet its legal obligations under the Act. The ATIP Director meets weekly with the ATIP Coordinator on the status of active requests, complaints, and any issues that have arisen.
When records originating from or involving another institution are reviewed, the ATIP Coordinator, with the support of the ATIP Office, assesses whether a consultation is required. The factors under consideration in the exercise of discretion to consult depend on the circumstances of each file. These factors include:
- Cases where disclosure is contemplated;
- Whether exemptions or exclusions are applicable;
- How similar records from past requests were processed;
- The expertise of the ATIP Office and other PPSC officials in the subject matter; and
- The expected timelines for receiving a response to the consultation.
In this way, the PPSC aims to limit consultations so that requests are responded to within the shortest timelines possible.
The ATIP Office also formally reports to the PPSC’s senior management on a monthly basis about its activities, caseload, performance metrics, and trends related to access to information. In addition to reporting, the Office advises various PPSC officials undertaking contracts and information sharing agreements about their access to information obligations, on request.
The Director of each corporate service is responsible for monitoring their compliance with Part 2 of the Act, so that information is proactively made available online within legislated timelines. The frequency in which compliance is monitored in this area depends on the frequency in which the information must be published. Further information on how the PPSC manages proactive publication is available in section 3.1 (Organizational structure) and section 6 (Proactive publication), respectively, of this report.
The PPSC did not undertake a review in 2023-2024 to assess the feasibility of making other types of popular government information available to the public through informal means.
11 Reading room
Section 8 of the Regulationsrequires that government institutions maintain a reading room where the public can examine records.
The PPSC’s main reading room is located at 160 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario. Individuals who wish to examine records must schedule an appointment with the ATIP Office. Individuals located outside of the National Capital Region can arrange with the ATIP Office to examine records at one of its regional offices.
12 Appendix A – Delegation order
The Director of Public Prosecutions, pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, as they existed prior to June 21, 2019, and pursuant to the current subsection 95(1) of the Access to Information Act and subsection 73(1) of the Privacy Act, hereby designates to the persons holding the positions set out in the schedule hereto the powers, duties and functions of the Director of Public Prosecutions as the head of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, under the under the provisions of the Acts and related regulations set out in the schedule opposite each position. This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.
Schedule
Position | Access to Information Act and Regulations | Privacy Act and Regulations |
---|---|---|
Senior Director General, Corporate Services | Full Authority | Full Authority |
Director General, Communications and Parliamentary Affairs | Full Authority | Full Authority |
Manager, ATIP | Full Authority | Full Authority |
Dated, at the City of Ottawa, this 22 nd day of February, 2021.
(original signed by)
Kathleen Roussel
Director of Public Prosecutions
13 Appendix B – Statistical report on the Access to Information Act
- Name of institution
- Public Prosecution Service of Canada
- Reporting period
- 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31
Section 1: Requests Under the Access to Information Act
Number of Requests | |
---|---|
Received during reporting period | 28 |
Oustanding from previous reporting periods
|
16 |
Total | 44 |
Closed during reporting period | 40 |
Carried over to next reporting period
|
4 |
Source | Number of Requests |
---|---|
Media | 7 |
Academia | 2 |
Business (private sector) | 3 |
Organization | 0 |
Public | 12 |
Decline to Identify | 4 |
Total | 28 |
Source | Number of Requests |
---|---|
Online | 27 |
1 | |
0 | |
In person | 0 |
Phone | 0 |
Fax | 0 |
Total | 28 |
Section 2: Informal requests
Number of Requests | |
---|---|
Received during reporting period | 28 |
Oustanding from previous reporting periods
|
3 |
Total | 31 |
Closed during reporting period | 30 |
Carried over to next reporting period | 1 |
Source | Number of Requests |
---|---|
Online | 26 |
2 | |
0 | |
In person | 0 |
Phone | 0 |
Fax | 0 |
Total | 28 |
0 to 15 Days | 16 to 30 Days | 31 to 60 Days | 61 to 120 Days | 121 to 180 Days | 181 to 365 Days | More Than 365 Days | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
Less Than 100 Pages Released |
100-500 Pages Released |
501-1000 Pages Released |
1001-5000 Pages Released |
More Than 5000 Pages Released |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Requests | Pages Released | Number of Requests | Pages Released | Number of Requests | Pages Released | Number of Requests | Pages Released | Number of Requests | Pages Released |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Less Than 100 Pages Released |
100-500 Pages Released |
501-1000 Pages Released |
1001-5000 Pages Released |
More Than 5000 Pages Released |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Requests | Pages Released | Number of Requests | Pages Released | Number of Requests | Pages Released | Number of Requests | Pages Released | Number of Requests | Pages Released |
18 | 576 | 6 | 1674 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1413 | 2 | 198198 |
Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests
Number of Requests | |
---|---|
Outstanding from previous reporting period | 0 |
Sent during reporting period | 0 |
Total | 0 |
Approved by the Information Commissioner during reporting period | 0 |
Declined by the Information Commissioner during reporting period | 0 |
Withdrawn during reporting period | 0 |
Carried over to next reporting period | 0 |
Section 4: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period
Disposition of requests | Completion Time | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 15 days | 16 to 30 days | 31 to 60 days | 61 to 120 days | 121 to 180 days | 181 to 365 days | More than 365 days | Total | |
All disclosed | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 25 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No records exist | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Request transferred | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Request abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 4 | 17 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 72 |
Section | Number of Requests |
---|---|
13(1)(a) | 0 |
13(1)(b) | 0 |
13(1)(c) | 0 |
13(1)(d) | 0 |
13(1)(e) | 1 |
14 | 1 |
14(a) | 0 |
14(b) | 0 |
15(1) | 0 |
15(1) - I.A. | 0 |
15(1) - Def. | 0 |
15(1) - S.A. | 0 |
16(1)(a)(i) | 1 |
16(1)(a)(ii) | 0 |
16(1)(a)(iii) | 0 |
16(1)(b) | 1 |
16(1)(c) | 3 |
16(1)(d) | 0 |
16(2) | 8 |
16(2)(a) | 0 |
16(2)(b) | 0 |
16(2)(c) | 5 |
16(3) | 0 |
16.1(1)(a) | 0 |
16.1(1)(b) | 0 |
16.1(1)(c) | 0 |
16.1(1)(d) | 0 |
16.2(1) | 0 |
16.3 | 0 |
16.31 | 0 |
16.4(1)(a) | 0 |
16.4(1)(b) | 0 |
16.5 | 0 |
16.6 | 0 |
17 | 0 |
18(a) | 0 |
18(b) | 0 |
18(c) | 0 |
18(d) | 0 |
18.1(1)(a) | 0 |
18.1(1)(b) | 0 |
18.1(1)(c) | 0 |
18.1(1)(d) | 0 |
19(1) | 22 |
20(1)(a) | 0 |
20(1)(b) | 0 |
20(1)(b.1) | 0 |
20(1)(c) | 1 |
20(1)(d) | 0 |
20.1 | 0 |
20.2 | 0 |
20.4 | 0 |
21(1)(a) | 5 |
21(1)(b) | 13 |
21(1)(c) | 0 |
21(1)(d) | 0 |
22 | 1 |
22.1(1) | 0 |
23 | 17 |
23.1 | 0 |
24(1) | 0 |
26 | 0 |
Section | Number of Requests |
---|---|
68(a) | 0 |
68(b) | 0 |
68(c) | 0 |
68.1 | 0 |
68.2(a) | 0 |
68.2(b) | 0 |
69(1) | 0 |
69(1)(a) | 0 |
69(1)(b) | 0 |
69(1)(c) | 0 |
69(1)(d) | 1 |
69(1)(e) | 0 |
69(1)(f) | 0 |
69(1)(g) re (a) | 0 |
69(1)(g) re (b) | 0 |
69(1)(g) re (c) | 0 |
69(1)(g) re (d) | 1 |
69(1)(g) re (e) | 0 |
69(1)(g) re (f) | 0 |
69.1(1) | 0 |
Paper | Electronic | Other | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
E-record | Data set | Video | Audio | ||
0 | 25 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
4.5 Complexity
Number of Pages Processed | Number of Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests |
---|---|---|
141783 | 109308 | 33 |
Disposition | Less Than 100 Pages Processed | 101-500 Pages Processed | 501-1000 Pages Processed | 1001-5000 Pages Processed | More than 5000 Pages Processed | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | |
All disclosed | 5 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 934 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 99099 |
Disclosed in part | 10 | 329 | 4 | 1285 | 3 | 2668 | 6 | 16549 | 2 | 17541 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request Abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3330 | 0 | 0 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 15 | 377 | 4 | 1285 | 4 | 3602 | 7 | 19879 | 3 | 116640 |
Number of Minutes Processed | Number of Minutes Disclosed | Number of Requests |
---|---|---|
0 | 0 | 0 |
Disposition | Less Than 60 Minutes Processed | 60 - 120 Minutes Processed | More than 120 Minutes Processed | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Requests | Minutes Processed | Number of Requests | Minutes Processed | Number of Requests | Minutes Processed | |
All disclosed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of Minutes Processed | Number of Minutes Disclosed | Number of Requests |
---|---|---|
0 | 0 | 0 |
Disposition | Less Than 60 Minutes Processed | 60 - 120 Minutes Processed | More than 120 Minutes Processed | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Requests | Minutes Processed | Number of Requests | Minutes Processed | Number of Requests | Minutes Processed | |
All disclosed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disposition | Consultation Required | Legal Advice Sought | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
All disclosed | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Disclosed in part | 2 | 1 | 19 | 22 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request Abandoned | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Decline to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 1 | 27 | 30 |
4.6 Closed requests
Number of requests closed within legislated timelines | Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) |
---|---|
32 | 80 |
4.7 Deemed refusals
Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines | Principal Reason | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Interference with Operations / Workload | External Consultation | Internal Consultation | Other | |
8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of days past legislated timelines | Number of requests past legislated timeline where no extension was taken | Number of requests past legislated timeline where an extension was taken | Total |
---|---|---|---|
1 to 15 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 to 30 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 to 60 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
61 to 120 days | 1 | 0 | 1 |
121 to 180 days | 0 | 1 | 1 |
181 to 365 days | 1 | 4 | 5 |
More than 365 days | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Total | 2 | 6 | 8 |
Translation Requests | Accepted | Refused | Total |
---|---|---|---|
English to French | 0 | 0 | 0 |
French to English | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 5: Extensions
Disposition of Requests Where an Extension Was Taken | 9(1)(a) Interference With Operations | 9(1)(b) Consultation | 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Section 69 | Other | |||
All disclosed | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request abandoned | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No records exist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Declined to act with the approval of the Information Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 13 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Length of Extensions | 9(1)(a) Interference With Operations/ Workload | 9(1)(b) Consultation | 9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Section 69 | Other | |||
30 days or less | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
31 to 60 days | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
61 to 120 days | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
121 to 180 days | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
181 to 365 days | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
365 days or more | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 13 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Section 6: Fees
Fee Type | Fee Collected | Fee Waived | Fee Refunded | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Requests | Amount | Number of Requests | Amount | Number of Requests | Amount | |
Application | 28 | $140.00 | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 |
Other fees | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 |
Total | 28 | $140.00 | 0 | $0.00 | 0 | $0.00 |
Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations
Consultations | Other Government of Canada Institutions | Number of Pages to Review | Other Organizations | Number of Pages to Review |
---|---|---|---|---|
Received during reporting period | 15 | 2949 | 0 | 0 |
Outstanding from the previous reporting period | 0 | 0 | 2 | 192 |
Total | 15 | 2949 | 2 | 192 |
Closed during the reporting period | 14 | 1800 | 2 | 192 |
Carried over within negotiated timelines | 1 | 1149 | 0 | 0 |
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recommendation | Number of days required to complete consultation requests | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 15 days | 16 to 30 days | 31 to 60 days | 61 to 120 days | 121 to 180 days | 181 to 365 days | More than 365 days | Total | |
Disclose entirely | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Disclose in part | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Consult other institution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Recommendation | Number of days required to complete consultation requests | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 15 days | 16 to 30 days | 31 to 60 days | 61 to 120 days | 121 to 180 days | 181 to 365 days | More than 365 days | Total | |
Disclose entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclose in part | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Consult other institution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences
Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 100-500 Pages Processed | 501-1000 Pages Processed | 1001-5000 Pages Processed | More than 5000 Pages Processed | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | |
1 to 15 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 to 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 to 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
61 to 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
121 to 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
181 to 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
More than 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of Days | Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed | 100-500 Pages Processed | 501-1000 Pages Processed | 1001-5000 Pages Processed | More than 5000 Pages Processed | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | Number of Requests | Pages Disclosed | |
1 to 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 to 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 to 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
61 to 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
121 to 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
181 to 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
More than 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 9: Investigations and Reports of finding
Section 32 Notice of intention to investigate | Section 30(5) Ceased to investigate | Section 35 Formal representations |
---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 |
Section 37(1) Initial Reports | Section 37(2) Final Reports | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Received | Containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner | Containing orders issued by the Information Commissioner | Received | Containing recommendations issued by the Information Commissioner | Containing orders issued by the Information Commissioner |
1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Section 10: Court Action
Section 41 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Complainant (1) | Institution (2) | Third Party (3) | Privacy Commissioner (4) | Total |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 44 - under paragraph 28(1)(b) |
---|
0 |
Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act
Expenditures | Amount |
---|---|
Salaries | $325,264 |
Overtime | $0 |
Goods and Services
|
$125,618 |
Total | $450,882 |
Resources | Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities |
---|---|
Full-time employees | 3.300 |
Part-time and casual employees | 0.000 |
Regional staff | 0.000 |
Consultants and agency personnel | 0.170 |
Students | 0.000 |
Total | 3.500 |
14 Appendix C – Supplemental statistical report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act
- Name of institution
- Public Prosecution Service of Canada
- Reporting period
- 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31
Section 1: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Access to Information Act
Fiscal Year Open Requests Were Received | Open Requests that are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Open Requests that are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Received in 2023-24 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Received in 2022-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2021-22 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Received in 2020-21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2019-20 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Received in 2018-19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2017-18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2016-17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2015-16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution | Number of Open Complaints |
---|---|
Received in 2023-24 | 0 |
Received in 2022-23 | 0 |
Received in 2021-22 | 0 |
Received in 2020-21 | 0 |
Received in 2019-20 | 0 |
Received in 2018-19 | 0 |
Received in 2017-18 | 0 |
Received in 2016-17 | 0 |
Received in 2015-16 | 0 |
Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 0 |
Total | 0 |
Section 2: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Privacy Act
Fiscal Year Open Requests Were Received | Open Requests that are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Open Requests that are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Received in 2023-24 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Received in 2022-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2021-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2020-21 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Received in 2019-20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2018-19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2017-18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2016-17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2015-16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution | Number of Open Complaints |
---|---|
Received in 2023-24 | 0 |
Received in 2022-23 | 0 |
Received in 2021-22 | 0 |
Received in 2020-21 | 0 |
Received in 2019-20 | 0 |
Received in 2018-19 | 0 |
Received in 2017-18 | 0 |
Received in 2016-17 | 0 |
Received in 2015-16 | 0 |
Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 0 |
Total | 0 |
Section 3: Social Insurance Number
Has your institution begun a new collection or a new consistent use of the SIN in 2023-24? |
---|
No |
Section 4: Universal Access under the Privacy Act
How many requests were received from foreign nationals outside of Canada in 2023-24? |
---|
0 |
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