Freedom of Information Act

Nearly sixty countries around the world have national laws on Freedom of Information which set rules on what Government bodies have to reveal to the public. Over forty more countries have pending bills.

Canada

Canada's Freedom of Information Act is called the Access to Information Act. It allows citizens to demand records from federal bodies. It is enforced by the Information Commissioner of Canada.

There is also a complimentary Privacy Act. The purpose of the Privacy Act of Canada, which was introduced in 1983, is to extend the present laws of Canada that protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by a government institution and that provide individuals with a right of access to that information. It is a Crown copyright. Complaints for possible violations of the Act may be reported to the Royal Assent in Information Commissioner.