Annual Report on the Access to Information Act 2023–24

Date of Publishing:
October 29, 2025

Download PDF (opens in a new tab)

Introduction

The Access to Information Act (ATIA) gives Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as any person or corporation present in Canada, the right of access to information under the control of a government institution, subject to certain specific and limited exemptions and exclusions.

Section 94 of the ATIA requires the head of each government institution to prepare an annual report on the administration of the ATIA within the institution that is to be tabled in both Houses of Parliament. In addition, section 20 of the Service Fees Act requires the responsible authority to report to Parliament each fiscal year on all statutory fees processed during the reporting period.

This report to Parliament, which is prepared and tabled pursuant to section 94 of the ATIA and section 20 of the Service Fees Act, describes the activities of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Secretariat in administering these Acts during the period of April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 (the reporting period).

If you require more information or wish to make a request under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act, please direct your inquiries to the following:

Access to Information and Privacy Office
National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Secretariat
P.O. Box 2430, Station "D"
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5W5
Canada

Phone : 1-833-890-0293
Email : ATIP@nsira-ossnr.gc.ca

Who we are

Established in July 2019, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) is an independent agency that reports to Parliament and conducts investigations and reviews of the federal government’s national security and intelligence activities.

The NSIRA Secretariat (the Secretariat) assists NSIRA in fulfilling its mandate. The Secretariat headed by an Executive Director, is designated as the government institution for the purposes of administering the ATIA and the Privacy Act.

Mandate

The Secretariat supports NSIRA in its dual mandate to conduct reviews and investigations in relation to Canada’s national security or intelligence activities.

Reviews

NSIRA’s review mandate is broad, as outlined in subsection 8(1) of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act (NSIRA Act). This mandate includes reviewing the activities of both the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), as well as the national security or intelligence-related activities of any other federal department or agency. This includes, but is not limited to, the national security or intelligence activities of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the Department of Justice. Further, NSIRA may review any national security or intelligence matter that a Minister of the Crown refers to NSIRA.

NSIRA’s reviews assess whether Canada’s national security and intelligence activities comply with relevant laws, policies, and ministerial directions, as well as whether they are reasonable and necessary. In conducting its reviews, NSIRA can make any findings or recommendations it considers appropriate.

Investigations

NSIRA is also responsible for investigating national security or intelligence-related complaints from members of the public. As outlined in paragraph 8(1)(d) of the NSIRA Act, NSIRA has the mandate to investigate complaints about:

• any activity of CSIS or of CSE;
• decisions to deny or revoke certain federal government security clearances;
• any complaint referred under subsection 45.53(4.1) or 45.67(2.1) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act,
• reports made under section 19 of the Citizenship Act, and
• matters referred under section 45 of the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Access to Information and Privacy Office – Organizational Structure

The Secretariat’s ATIP Office is accountable for the development and implementation of effective policies, guidelines, systems, and procedures to ensure that the Secretariat meets its responsibilities under the ATIA and the Privacy Act.

For the reporting period, the Secretariat’s ATIP Office consisted of:

• 1 full-time Access to Information Consultant;
• 1 part-time Privacy Consultant;
• 1 full-time ATIP Coordinator, who managed the Secretariat’s ATIP Office, and fulfilled the normal duties as Manager of Administrative Services for the Secretariat and NSIRA Members; and
• the Secretariat’s Senior Counsel, Internal Services as well as Senior General Counsel supported the Secretariat’s ATIP Office when required.

The Secretariat’s ATIP Office is responsible for the following:

• monitoring compliance with ATIP legislation and relevant procedures and policies;
• processing requests under both the ATIA and the Privacy Act;
• developing and maintaining policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure that the Secretariat respects the ATIA and the Privacy Act;
• maintaining Personal Information Banks and conducting privacy impact assessments;
• preparing annual reports to Parliament and other statutory reports, as well as other materials that might be required by central agencies; and
• representing the Secretariat in dealings with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), the information and privacy commissioners, and other government departments and agencies in matters pertaining to the ATIA and the Privacy Act.

During the reporting period, the Secretariat was a party to a service agreement under section 96 of the ATIA in which the Secretariat received administrative support from the Privy Council Office related to the tabling of the Annual Report in Parliament. The Secretariat was also a party to a service agreement under section 92 of the ATIA, in which the Secretariat received ATIP Online services from TBS.

Part 2: Proactive Publications

The Secretariat ensured that the following proactive publication legislative requirements were met during the reporting period with the assistance of its Finance division:

• travel expenses;
• hospitality expenses;
• reports tabled in Parliament; and
• contracts over $10,000.00

To assist the Secretariat’s ATIP Office in meeting its overall legislative obligations, the Secretariat relied on a collaborative internal group of subject matter experts from all divisions.

Delegation Order

As the Head of the Secretariat, the Executive Director is responsible for the administration of the ATIA within the institution. Pursuant to section 95 of the ATIA, the Executive Director has delegated the ATIP Manager and ATIP Officer, as well as individuals acting in these positions, to perform certain and specific powers, duties, and functions for the administration of the ATIA. These positions have limited delegation of authority under the ATIA and the Privacy Act, in accordance with the delegation of authority instrument approved by the Executive Director in August 2022. The Delegation Order can be found in Appendix A (page 13).

Performance 2023-2024

Performance in Processing Access Requests

In addition to 5 requests that were outstanding from previous reporting periods, the Secretariat’s ATIP Office received 16 formal requests during the current reporting period, bringing the total number of formal requests to 21. Of these, the Secretariat’s ATIP Office closed 16 requests and processed approximately 15,323 pages during the reporting period. 5 requests were carried over to the following reporting period, 3 of the carried over requests were received during the reporting period.

Statistical Reports for 2023-2024

The Secretariat’s 2023-2024 Statistical Report on the ATIA and Supplemental ATIP Statistical Report for 2023-2024 were both previously validated by TBS.

Extensions and Completion Time of Closed Requests

During the reporting period, the Secretariat’s ATIP Office invoked extensions while processing 7 formal requests: 5 extensions of 31 to 60 days, 0 extensions of 61 to 120 days, 1 extension of 121 to 180 days, 0 extensions of 181 to 365 days, and 1 extension of 365 days or more, all of which required extensions to consult with third parties.

Of the requests completed during the reporting period:

• 1 request, or 6.25% of the requests completed, was disclosed in its entirety. This request was completed within 181 to 365 days;
• 5 requests, or 31.25% of the requests completed, were disclosed in part. 1 request was completed within 16 to 30 days, 1 request was completed within 61 to 120 days, 1 request was completed within 121 to 180 days, and 2 requests were completed after 365 days;
• 0 requests, or 0% of the requests completed, were all exempted;
• 10 requests, or 62.50% of the requests completed, resulted in no records. 1 request was completed within 16 to 30 days, 2 requests were completed within 31 to 60 days, and 7 requests were completed within 61 to 120 days;
• 0 requests, or 0% of the requests completed, were abandoned and completed; and
• 0 requests, or 0% of the requests completed, were neither confirmed nor denied.

The responses to many requests required an intensive review of complex records, including extensive internal and external consultations due to a significant portion of the Secretariat’s information holdings consisting of sensitive and classified records created or originally received by other government institutions owing to NSIRA’s mandate. During the reporting period, the Secretariat’s on-time response rate decreased to 18.7% from 33.3% in the 2022-2023 reporting year due to a significant increase in the number of pages processed for formal requests.

Consultations

During the reporting period, the Secretariat’s ATIP Office received 20 consultation requests from other government institutions. 3 requests were completed within 0 to 15 days, 3 requests were completed within 16 to 30 days, 5 requests were completed within 31 to 60 days, 8 requests were completed within 61 to 120 days, and 1 request was completed within 121 to 180 days. The Secretariat’s ATIP Office closed all 20 consultations during the reporting period and processed approximately 549 pages.

Requests Treated Informally

During the reporting period, the Secretariat’s ATIP Office received 18 informal requests for records previously released under the ATIA, closed 6 informal requests, and carried over 12 informal requests into the 2024-2025 reporting period.

Complaints and Investigations of Access Requests

Subsection 30(1) of the ATIA describes how the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) receives and investigates complaints from individuals regarding the processing of requests under the ATIA. The Secretariat’s ATIP Office received 3 access complaints during the reporting period. 1 of these complaints was discontinued during the reporting period, while the other 2 complaints remained active on March 31, 2024.

Training and Awareness

The Secretariat took a customized approach to training subject matter experts on their legislative requirements, roles, and responsibilities. The Secretariat’s ATIP Office encouraged employees to take the ATIP training courses offered by the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS). The Executive Director held an awareness session for the Secretariat’s management team on the new Directive on Proactive Publication in the Fall of 2023 and senior management was briefed on Amending the Access to Information Regulations in June 2023. In addition, new employees were required to complete an online training session entitled Fundamentals of Access to Information and Privacy within six months of joining the Secretariat and in January 2024, an internal ATIP training session was held.

Policies, Guidelines, and Procedures

The Secretariat’s ATIP Office implemented certain efficiency-enhancing measures, such as online tracking tools, and continued to seek new opportunities to improve the efficiency and timeliness of request processing. For example, the Executive Director designated two officials within the Secretariat who were responsible for supporting the Executive Director’s accountability for proactive publication under various policies and guidelines specified under the ATIA.

The Secretariat continued to engage with Library and Archives Canada on obtaining institution-specific disposition authorities.

Proactive Publication under Part 2 of the ATIA

In accordance with subsection 81(b) of the ATIA, the Secretariat is listed as a government entity subject to the following proactive publication requirements:

• Travel expenses (section 82);
• Hospitality expenses (section 83);
• Reports tabled in Parliament (section 84);
• Contracts over $10,000.00 (section 86);
• Grants and Contributions over $25,000.00 (section 87); and
• Briefing materials (section 88)

During the reporting period, the Secretariat’s proactive publications were published on open.canada.ca. Of the total proactive publication requirements that were due during the reporting period, 80% were published within the legislated timelines.

Initiatives and Projects to Improve Access to Information

During the reporting period, the Secretariat’s Information Technology division continued to improve our ATIP software tool for the Secretariat’s classified and unclassified systems.

Summary of Key Issues and Actions Taken on Complaints

During the reporting period, 3 complaints were received. 1 complaint was discontinued during the reporting period, while the other 2 complaints remained active on March 31, 2024.

Access to Information Act Fees for the Purposes of the Service Fees Act

The Service Fees Act requires a responsible authority to report annually to Parliament on the fees collected by the institution.

With respect to fees collected under the ATIA, the information below is reported in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Service Fees Act:

• Enabling authority: Access to Information Act
• Fee payable: $5.00 application fee is the only fee charged for an ATI request
• Total revenue: $65.00
• Fees waived: $15.00
• Cost of operating the program: $360,421.00

Monitoring Compliance

Legislative deadlines for access to information requests were strictly monitored by using several Microsoft Lists trackers, as were proactive publication requirements. The ATIP Manager organized ad hoc meetings to discuss request-related activities (such as whether internal consultations were necessary), determine deadlines, and ensure that all division members were informed of the status of requests. At bi-weekly team meetings with the Senior General Counsel and Senior Counsel, Internal Services, the ATIP Manager raised and discussed compliance with legislative and policy obligations. The Executive Director was also briefed on all ATIP compliance issues.

During the reporting period, the Secretariat also continued to assess the feasibility of making information previously released under the ATIA available on its public-facing website.

Appendix A: Delegation Order

Access to Information Act Designation Order

The Executive Director of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, pursuant to section 95 of the Access to Information Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions or acting in these positions, set out in the schedule hereto to exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions of the Executive Director of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency as the head of a government institution under the section of the Access to Information Act set out in the schedule opposite each position.

Privacy Act Designation Order

The Executive Director of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, pursuant to section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions or acting in these positions, set out in the schedule hereto to exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions of the Executive Director of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency as the head of a government institution under the section of the Privacy Act set out in the schedule opposite each position.

Appendix B: 2023-2024 Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: National Security and Intelligence Review Agency

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 – 2024-03-31

Section 1: Request Under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Number of Requests

1.2 Sources of requests

1.3 Channels of requests

Section 2: Informal requests

2.1 Number of informal requests

2.2 Channels of informal requests

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

2.4 Pages released informally

2.5 Pages re-released informally

Section 3: Applications to the Information Commissioner on Declining to Act on Requests

Section 4: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

4.1 Disposition and completion time

4.2 Exemptions

* I.A.: International Affairs
* Def.: Defence of Canada
* S.A.: Subversive Activities

4.3 Exclusions

4.4 Format of information released

4.5 Complexity

4.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper and e-record formats

4.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper and e-record formats by size of requests

4.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

4.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests

4.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

4.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests

4.5.7 Other complexities

4.6 Closed requests

4.6.1 Requests closed within legislated timelines

4.7 Deemed refusals

4.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines

4.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

4.8 Requests for translation

Section 5: Extensions

5.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests

5.2 Length of extensions

Section 6: Fees

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Section 9: Investigations and Reports of finding

9.1 Investigations

9.2 Investigations and Reports of finding

Section 10: Court Action

10.1 Court actions on complaints

10.2 Court actions on third party notifications under paragraph 28(1)(b)

Section 11: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

11.1 Allocated Costs

11.2 Human Resources

Note: Enter values to three decimal places.

Appendix C: Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act

Section 1: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Access to Information Act

1.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

1.2 Enter the number of open complaints with the Information Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

Section 2: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Privacy Act

2.1 Number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

2.2 Enter the number of open complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

Section 3: Social Insurance Number