Interpretation Bulletins
Our office publishes interpretation bulletins to promote greater understanding of Ontario’s access and privacy laws, increase the transparency of our adjudication process, and help people involved in an appeal better understand what to expect.
The interpretation bulletins are intended to provide insight into how the IPC and the courts have interpreted different sections of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) when reviewing appeals.
Interpretation bulletins cover the following topics:
- Advice or Recommendations
- Cabinet Records
- Custody or Control
- Danger to Safety or Health
- Draft By-Law/Closed Meeting
- Economic and Other Related Interests
- Fees and Fee Waivers
- Frivolous or Vexatious Requests
- Information Available to the Public
- Personal Information
- Public interest override
- Reasonable Search
- Records Relating to an Ongoing Prosecution
- Solicitor-Client Privilege
- Third party information
New interpretation bulletins are posted on an ongoing basis. If you are looking for guidance on a topic that is not listed here, please contact us.
For more information about the appeal process, please see the IPC’s code of procedure for FIPPA and MFIPPA appeals.
Disclaimer
While the IPC makes every effort to keep the Interpretation Bulletins up to date, the bulletins may not reference all recent or relevant IPC orders or court decisions. To find the IPC’s most recently published decisions, please visit our decisions database.
These Interpretation Bulletins are published for information purposes only and are not intended as legal advice.
They do not bind how an adjudicator may conduct or decide an inquiry based on the specific facts and circumstances before them, nor do they preclude other possible interpretations of specific sections of the acts depending on how the law may evolve.