Annual Report on the Access to Information Act 2024-2025

ISSN 2561-8237 (Online)

Table of Contents

• 1 Introduction
• 2 The Public Prosecution Service of Canada
• 3 The ATIP Office
  • 3.1 Organizational structure
• 4 Delegated authorities
• 5 Performance
  • 5.1 Requests received under the Access to Information Act
    • 5.1.1 Number of requests
    • 5.1.2 Subject matter
    • 5.1.3 Sources
    • 5.1.4 Informal requests
  • 5.2 Requests closed during the fiscal year
    • 5.2.1 Disposition of requests
    • 5.2.2 Number of pages processed
    • 5.2.3 Completion time
    • 5.2.4 Exemptions
    • 5.2.5 Exclusions
    • 5.2.6 Format of information released
    • 5.2.7 Complexity
    • 5.2.8 Deemed refusals
    • 5.2.9 Requests for translation
  • 5.3 Extensions
  • 5.4 Consultations received from other institutions
    • 5.4.1 Number of consultations
    • 5.4.2 Sources of consultations
    • 5.4.3 Disposition and recommendations
    • 5.4.4 Completion time
  • 5.5 Consultations on Cabinet confidences
  • 5.6 Service fees and costs
• 6 Proactive publication
• 7 Training and awareness activities
• 8 Policies, guidelines, and procedures
• 9 Initiatives and projects to improve access to information
• 10 Complaints and investigations
• 11 Monitoring compliance
• 12 Reading room
• 13 Appendix A – Delegation order

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, this 2024-2025 Annual Report on the Act has been prepared for tabling in the House of Commons and the Senate. It provides an analysis of key statistics for the year, and 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 (OIC) 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, which describes the functions, programs, activities, and related information holdings of government institutions subject to ATIP;
• 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 to the Government of Canada’s 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, 2024, to March 31, 2025, the ATIP Office comprised the Director, two (2) Senior Advisors, one (1) Advisor, and one (1) ATIP Officer. A second Advisor position was vacant throughout 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, 2025:

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.

For a breakdown of the groups responsible for meeting each applicable proactive publication requirement under Part 2 and how they monitor compliance, see section 6 (Proactive publication) and section 11 (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 2024-2025 fiscal year.

5.1 Requests received under the Access to Information Act

5.1.1 Number of requests

The PPSC received 30 new formal access to information requests in 2024-2025. This is two (2) more than in 2023-2024. Additionally, four (4) requests were carried over from the previous period: one (1) received at the end of the fiscal year and three (3) more received in earlier periods. Altogether, the PPSC had 34 requests to process in 2024-2025.

Since its creation, the PPSC has received 635 access to information requests in total. Overall, with some fluctuations, the number of requests has grown from year to year, peaking sharply in 2022-2023 due to increased interest from applicants on high-profile subject matter. Since then, demand has returned to more typical levels. The following chart illustrates this trend:

5.1.2 Subject matter

The subject matter of the 30 requests received in 2024-2025 was varied and often involved overlapping categories. However, a few key themes can be observed:

• Reflecting the mandate of the PPSC, 67% of requests received related to criminal and regulatory prosecutions and investigations.
• Notably, applicants were also interested in records on human resources and workplace matters as well as data on a variety of topics, such as the PPSC workforce, information technology, and prosecution trends.

5.1.3 Sources

For the 30 requests received in 2024-2025, 37% of applicants self-identified as general members of the public. Another 23% declined to self-identify. In recent years, a sizeable portion of applicants have chosen not to self-identify, representing 33% of all requests received over the last five fiscal years.

The following chart shows the distribution of all requests received in 2024-2025 by source:

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.

The PPSC typically receives the majority of informal requests online through the 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 2024-2025 fiscal year, the PPSC received 154 informal requests, substantially more than the 28 informal requests received in the previous fiscal year. The massive increase is due to a single group of applicants seeking every copy of responsive records for access to information requests completed at the PPSC that is still available for re-release.

Additionally, one (1) informal request was carried over from the previous period. Altogether, the PPSC had 155 informal requests to process in 2024-2025.

The PPSC responded to all 155 requests during the fiscal year. All but three (3) of the requests were closed within the first 15 days of receipt. The effort involved in processing all of these requests required that the PPSC re-release a total of 248,518 pages to informal applicants, 23% more than the 201,861 pages processed during the previous year. The increase is due to the additional informal requests closed in the current reporting period as well as the re-releases of a single, large data file consisting of 99,099 pages for two (2) separate requests.

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 27 formal access to information requests in 2024-2025, 33% fewer than the 40 requests closed in 2023-2024. Over the last five fiscal years, on average, the PPSC has closed 80% of requests received in a given year or carried over from a previous period.

There was a corresponding increase in the number of requests that remained open at the end of the current fiscal year. As compared with the four (4) requests carried over from the previous period, seven (7) requests remained outstanding as of March 31, 2025. Of these, six (6) were received in the final months of 2024–2025, and one (1) was received in 2021–2022. Additional time was needed to process the older request due to the complexity of the subject matter and the large volume of relevant records, consisting of more than 46,000 pages. All seven (7) requests outstanding at the end of the current reporting period were still within legislated timelines.

For requests closed in 2024-2025, the disposition is as follows:

Of the 27 requests closed in 2024-2025, records were fully or partially disclosed in 17 cases. On average, 73% of requests closed over the past five fiscal years have resulted in full or partial disclosure of records to applicants.

During the 2024-2025 reporting period, the PPSC closed the following requests which did not result in disclosure of any records on the part of the organization:

No records exist

Five (5) 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

Four (4) requests were 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.

All exempted

Records were exempted entirely in response to one (1) request. This request sought records that were subject to solicitor-client privilege in the context of an ongoing prosecution.

5.2.2 Number of pages processed

In closing 27 requests in 2024-2025, the PPSC processed a total of 39,671 pages, which is significantly fewer than the 141,783 pages processed in 2023-2024. The higher page count for the previous period was mainly due to a single, large data file requested by an applicant.

The PPSC ATIP Office also reviewed an additional 3,575 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:

5.2.3 Completion time

Of the 27 requests closed in 2024-2025, more than half of requests were processed within the initial 30-day statutory deadline, 15 in total. An additional six (6) requests were processed within the next 30 days and another four (4) were closed between 61 and 120 days. The two (2) remaining requests were closed within longer periods, 1,127 and 1,694 days respectively, on account of their complexity and the large volume of pages involved.

The following summarizes the number of days taken to respond to requests:

Overall, the PPSC has processed 61% 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:

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 2024-2025 for closed requests:

Over the past five fiscal years, the PPSC has most frequently invoked subsection 19(1) (personal information) and section 23 (solicitor-client privilege) of the Act to exempt information from disclosure. This trend reflects the PPSC’s mandate to conduct federal prosecutions – which often involve personal information about the affected individuals – and to provide legal advice to law enforcement agencies and investigative bodies on prosecution-related matters.

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.

In 2024-2025, the PPSC invoked section 68 in two (2) separate cases because some of the material requested was already publicly accessible through courthouses for a fee.

5.2.6 Format of information released

Information was released electronically for all 17 requests where the PPSC fully or partially disclosed records in 2024-2025.

In the last five fiscal years, all releases have been in electronic format. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 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 release packages can be made available upon request so that the ATIP process remains accessible to all Canadians, PPSC applicants no longer request this option.

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:

• Records held by the PPSC may contain information related to matters involving other federal, provincial, or territorial organizations. As a result, consultations with these organizations may be required to determine whether certain records can be disclosed. In 2024–2025, consultation was the primary factor contributing to the complexity of one (1) request.
• The ATIP Office may seek legal advice regarding the relevance or disclosure of records, which can further complicate the processing of a request.
• Many requests require the retrieval of records from regional offices across the country, including one (1) request closed in 2024–2025 that involved all regions. The Ontario Regional Office was the most frequently engaged, responding to six (6) separate requests closed during the reporting period.
• Some records require particularly in-depth analysis due to high-profile or highly sensitive subject matter.
• A database search can complicate the retrieval of records, often requiring extensive coordination between ATIP officials, business analysts, and subject matter experts to extract, 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 27 requests closed in 2024-2025 were completed within the initial deadline or within an extended timeframe, representing 93% of cases.

There were two (2) deemed refusals this fiscal year. Both were delayed due to interference with operations and workload. These requests involved complex subject matter and required the review of several thousand pages, accounting for 81% of all pages processed during the reporting period. Although extensions were taken, additional time beyond initial expectations was required to complete the review. As a result, these requests were closed 1,453 and 730 days past deadline, respectively.

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 2024-2025 to translate records from one official language to the other.

5.3 Extensions

Section 9 of the Act permits government institutions to extend the 30-day statutory deadline for processing a request in cases when:

• Institutions must review or search through a large number of records;
• Consultations with legal counsel or the Privy Council Office are required to determine whether records should be excluded under section 69 (Cabinet confidences) of the Act;
• Consultations with other institutions are necessary to obtain their recommendations on disclosure; or
• Notice must be given to third parties regarding the potential release of their information.

The PPSC took 13 extensions to process 12 requests closed in 2024-2025, five (5) extensions fewer than in the previous period. One (1) of the 12 requests required that the PPSC apply two (2) separate extensions – for consulting another government institution and because processing the volume of records within the initial timeframe would have interfered with the PPSC’s operations.

Over the past five fiscal years, the PPSC has taken an average of 14 extensions per year under the Act. Overall, requests have become increasingly complex to process, and extensions are often necessary to meet obligations under the Act, whether due to the volume of pages to review, the need for extensive searches, or consultations with other government institutions.

The following chart summarizes the length and reasons for the extensions taken in 2024-2025:

5.4 Consultations received from other institutions

5.4.1 Number of consultations

The PPSC received 16 consultations from other government institutions for processing under the Act in 2024-2025, one (1) more than in 2023-2024. One (1) other consultation was carried forward from that period to the current fiscal year. Altogether, the PPSC had 17 consultations to process in 2024-2025.

Since its creation on December 12, 2006, the PPSC has received a total of 685 access to information consultations, peaking at 58 consultations in 2011–2012. As illustrated in the chart below, while annual volumes have continued to fluctuate, the number of consultations has declined significantly in recent years:

5.4.2 Sources of consultations

Of the 16 consultations received by the PPSC in 2024-2025, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was the most frequent source. These consultations pertained to prosecutions, as did many consultations received this fiscal year, which varied in complexity and page volume.

In 2024–2025, only two (2) consultations originated from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). While TBS consistently sent several consultations each fiscal year in the past, the volume has since declined. Unlike consultations related to prosecutions, TBS consultations typically involve fewer pages and less complex subject matter.

The following table identifies the number of consultations sent by each government institution in 2024-2025:

5.4.3 Disposition and recommendations

The PPSC responded to 14 of the 17 consultations to process in 2024-2025. The three (3) remaining consultations were carried over to the next fiscal year. They were all received at the end of the fiscal year and one (1) in particular involved over 1,400 pages to review. All three (3) consultations were still within negotiated timelines as of March 31, 2025.

A total of 1,405 pages were processed for the 14 consultations completed in 2024-2025, 29% fewer than in the previous period. Over the last five years, the PPSC has processed an average of 1,827 pages each year in response to consultations. The number of pages processed during this timespan is as follows:

For the 14 consultations completed in 2024-2025, the PPSC largely recommended that the other government institutions disclose records: full disclosure in nine (9) cases and partial disclosure in three (3) other cases.

In the two (2) other consultations closed within the same period:

• The PPSC recommended that none of the records be disclosed, as they were subject to solicitor-client privilege in the context of an ongoing prosecution; and
• Another institution submitted records that were partially illegible and, as a result, the PPSC was unable to complete its review.

Overall, the PPSC has completed 111 consultations over the last five fiscal years. During this period, the PPSC’s recommendations have consistently leaned toward disclosure, whether in full or in part. The following chart illustrates this trend:

5.4.4 Completion time

Of the 14 consultations completed in 2024-2025, 86% were processed within 30 days of receipt – 12 cases in total, one (1) more than in the previous period. Over the last five fiscal years, on average, 78% of consultations have been completed within this timeframe.

The PPSC responded to the two (2) other consultations between 31 to 60 days in 2024-2025.

The following chart breaks down the proportion of consultations completed within each timeframe during the current reporting period:

5.5 Consultations on Cabinet confidences

No consultations regarding section 69 (Cabinet confidences) of the Act were carried out during fiscal year 2024-2025.

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 PPSC collected a total of $135 in application fee revenue for 27 requests received in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. It waived or refunded the application fee for three (3) other requests, representing $15 in fees.

Throughout the reporting period, the PPSC spent a total of $296,801 administering the Act, of which salaries accounted for nearly all expenditures at $296,418, while goods and services accounted for the remaining $383. No overtime expenditures were incurred during this period.

Over the past five fiscal years, the costs associated with administering the Act have fluctuated, peaking in 2023–2024. The substantial increase in expenditures during that period was related to goods and services, specifically the purchase of licenses for new ATIP case management software. In 2024–2025, costs returned to levels more consistent with previous years.

The following chart illustrates these fluctuations:

6 Proactive publication

Various corporate services at the PPSC are responsible for ensuring that their respective publications are proactively published online further to Part 2 of the Act. Additional information on how these groups fulfill their obligations under Part 2 is available in section 11 (Monitoring Compliance) of this report.

The following table summarizes the publications that the organization was responsible for posting online in 2024-2025 as well as its rate of compliance with legislated timelines:

The PPSC proactively published information within legislated timelines 100% of the time, with one (1) exception. To meet requirements regarding position reclassifications, the organization posted relevant data within timelines for the first three (3) fiscal quarters. However, for the final quarter, the PPSC was slightly delayed in confirming that no reclassifications had occurred during that period.

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.

7 Training and awareness activities

No formal training sessions were delivered to PPSC employees in 2024-2025. Updated training materials were developed in the meantime, to be implemented in the next fiscal year.

Presentations were delivered in the past to raise awareness of corporate responsibilities regarding ATIP, including proactive publication requirements. 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 employees, which included promoting International Right to Know Day 2024.

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

No new or revised internal policies, guidelines, and procedures related to access to information were implemented in 2024-2025.

The PPSC ATIP Office continued to update office correspondence templates to ensure accuracy and accessibility, improved communications with applicants and PPSC officials, and alignment with Treasury Board requirements.

Each corporate service responsible for proactive publication under Part 2 of the Act has procedures in place to collect the required information from their databases and post it online within legislated timelines. The general procedures are described in section 11 (Monitoring Compliance) of this report.

9 Initiatives and projects to improve access to information

No new initiatives or projects were implemented in 2024-2025.

The PPSC recently procured a new electronic case management system with enhanced features for processing ATIP requests. It was configured and tested throughout the current reporting period and will be launched into production in 2025-2026.

10 Complaints and investigations

Decisions made under the Act are subject to a two-tiered system 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 and investigated by the Information Commissioner, supported by the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC). The second level is an application for judicial review to the Federal Court. The PPSC reviews the outcomes of all investigations and incorporates lessons learned into business processes, where appropriate.

One (1) new complaint was filed with the OIC against the PPSC in 2024-2025 and closed in the same period. As a result, there were no open complaints at the start of the next reporting period.

In the case of the new complaint, the complainant alleged that the PPSC had improperly applied exemptions under the Act. The PPSC maintained that the redacted information was either personal information or subject to solicitor-client privilege and advised the OIC accordingly as part of their investigation. When the complainant did not respond to the OIC’s follow-up inquiries, the Information Commissioner decided to cease their investigation.

There were no applications for judicial review filed with the Federal Court in 2024-2025.

11 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. 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 ATIP Office advises various PPSC officials undertaking contracts and information sharing agreements or arrangements about their access to information obligations, on request.

The Director of each corporate service at the PPSC is responsible for monitoring compliance with Part 2 of the Act, so that their section’s information is proactively made available online and on time. The following general steps are taken by each group to support timeliness, accuracy, and completeness:

• The frequency with which compliance is monitored in a given area depends on how often the information must be published according to legislated timelines.
• Content is prepared in advance by subject matter experts in accordance with Treasury Board requirements. This may include the collection and verification of data. Some data and other key inputs for reports or briefing materials are gathered from other corporate services or regional offices responsible for prosecutions.
• Each corporate service has established processes for translating and formatting content in accordance with online publishing and web accessibility standards. These processes also include consulting relevant stakeholders, such as the ATIP Office, as needed.
• The DPP’s final approval is required for all publications before they are made available online or tabled in Parliament, as well as the approval of other senior PPSC officials, such as Director Generals responsible for their respective areas and the Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions.
• Content published on the PPSC’s Internet site is coded by the Communications team, while datasets are updated directly on the Open Government Portal.

12 Reading room

Section 8 of the Regulations requires 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.

13 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 provisions of the Acts and related regulations set out in the schedule opposite each position. This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.

Date modified:

2025-10-06