Filing an appeal

What is an appeal?

An appeal is a way to ask our office to review a government institution’s decision regarding your request. There are a number of reasons why you might decide to appeal, including:

• you have been denied access to some or all of the information you requested
• you do not agree with the amount of the fee being charged
• you did not receive a decision regarding your request for information (deemed refusal)
• you have been advised that an extension of the 30-day time period is necessary and you do not agree with the extension
• your request for a correction of your personal information has been denied
• someone is requesting your personal information (or other information in which you have an interest) from a public institution; the institution has decided to release the information and you disagree with the decision

If you disagree with a decision concerning your records of personal health information, you can make a complaint.
If you disagree with a child and family service provider’s decision about access or corrections to your personal information in your file, you can make a complaint.

How do I file an appeal?

There are the three steps to filing an appeal with our office:

• Send us a letter or completed form within 30 days after receiving the institution’s decision. Tell us why the appeal is being made, explain your concerns and how you feel it should be resolved. Include your contact details, the institution  name and the file number of the decision
• Include a copy of the institution’s decision and a copy of your original request (if available)
• Enclose the fee. The fee for personal information requests is $10.00 and for all other requests is $25.00. Include a cheque or money order payable to “Minister of Finance”

Mail your appeal to our office.