Access to Information

Information, Correction, or Access Request Form.

Access to documents held by the Québec Ombudsman is subject to the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, and to the Public Protector Act or the Act respecting the Health and Social Services Ombudsman, as applicable.

Inquiries under the Public Protector Act

Section 34 of the Public Protector Act stipulates that notwithstanding Section 9 of the Access to Information Act, no one is entitled to access a document containing information obtained by the Québec Ombudsman in the exercise of its duties.

However, all persons whose personal information is held by the Québec Ombudsman have the right, in accordance with Section 83 of the Access to Information Act, to have this personal information conveyed to them.

When a person makes a written request for personal information concerning him or herself, the party responsible for access, in rendering his or her decision, conveys only that particular personal information to the requestor. When the information or documents are held by other public ministries or agencies, he or she conveys the name of the government ministry or agency concerned and the name of the person in charge of access to information.

Inquiries under the Act respecting the Health and Social Services Ombudsman

Health or social service user complaint files held by the Québec Ombudsman as part of its duties under the Act respecting the Health and Social Services Ombudsman are primarily subject to the provisions of the Act respecting health services and social services, which is supplemented by the provisions of the Access to Information Act and the Public Protector Act.

For all other information or documents held by the Québec Ombudsman in accordance with the Act respecting the Health and Social Services Ombudsman, the Access to Information Act does apply.

Procedure for Requesting or Correcting Personal Information:

Applications must be made in writing (Access to Information Act, Section 94)
Applicants must provide proof of their identity as the person concerned, heir, estate administrator, life insurance beneficiary, or holder of parental authority
Applicants must identify the personal information concerned, as well as the desired method of consultation—either at the office of the Québec Ombudsman or by mail
Applicants may also request a correction to personal information if it is incomplete, inaccurate, or ambiguous (Access to Information Act, Section 89)
Applications for correction may be used to change personal information only, not opinions, conclusions, or recommendations.

Procedure for Requesting Access to Documents from the Québec Ombudsman:

Applications may be made verbally or in writing (Access to Information Act, Section 43); note that only written applications may be appealed to Commission d’accès à l’information.
Applications must identify the document for which access is being requested as well as the desired method of consultation—either at the office of the Québec Ombudsman or by mail.
For institutional documents produced for communication purposes or public release (leaflets, brochures, speeches, annual reports, press releases, etc.), applications may be sent directly to the Communications Department.

Upon receipt of your application, the officer responsible for document access will send an acknowledgement and get back in touch with you a decision within twenty (20) days, giving written justification for any application that is turned down.

The officer responsible for document access is Jean-François Bernier. His job is to help citizens gain access to information under the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (Access to Information Act).

Jean-François Bernier
Access to Information Office
Québec Ombudsman
525, boul. René-Lévesque Est, Suite 1.25
Québec (Québec) G1R 5Y4
Phone: 418 643-0236

Fax

1 866 902-7130

Email

acces@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca

Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information