Statutory responsibilities under the Right to Information Act, Protection of Personal Information Act, and Archives Act

Right to Information

Under the Right to Information Act, the Ombudsman is to conduct, within 30 days, independent reviews of refusals to release information to citizens by all departments and agencies, as outlined in the regulations under the Act.

Forms – Referral, Petition Ombudsman, Appeal

Protection of Personal Information

The Protection of Personal Information Act came into effect on April 1, 2001. The Act is designed to regulate the collection, confidentiality, correction, disclosure, retention and use of personal information. The Act applies to those public bodies set out under the Right to Information Act and to any other public body that may be designated by regulation. In the Act, the Ombudsman was given responsibility for investigating complaints regarding violations of the Act.

While the Office of the Ombudsman is responsible to investigate complaints under the Protection of Personal Information Act, it is the responsibility of departments and agencies of the government to manage personal information in accordance with the Act.

Archives Act

The Office of the Ombudsman has duties under the Archives Act similar to its duties under the Right to Information Act.