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Justice Laws Website and access to information requests

The Justice Laws Website, maintained by the Department of Justice, publishes consolidated federal Acts and regulations with past versions. The Access to Information Act gives a right to request records from federal institutions, and the Office of the Information Commissioner investigates complaints. Provinces have their own laws and freedom of information schemes.

Release calendar

What it publishes

• Consolidated federal Acts and regulations, with point-in-time versions.
• The Access to Information Act, which sets a 30-day response limit, with extensions.
• Information Commissioner investigation results and annual reports.

Key datasets

• Justice Laws Website
  Search federal Acts and regulations.
  Updated: Continuous
• Access to Information Act
  Full consolidated text of the Act.
  Updated: As amended
• Office of the Information Commissioner
  Complaints, decisions and guidance.
  Updated: Continuous
• Supreme Court of Canada decisions
  Judgments of the Supreme Court of Canada.
  Updated: Continuous

APIs and downloads

• Justice Laws XML
  XML index of all consolidated Acts and regulations for bulk download.

When it publishes

Consolidations are updated regularly after amendments come into force; the site shows the date each consolidation is current to.

How to use it to check a claim

1. Check the 'current to' date of a consolidated Act and use the point-in-time version for past dates.
2. Consolidated text on Justice Laws is official for most federal Acts, but check the site's notes on official status.
3. For an access request, apply to the federal institution that holds the records; it has 30 days to respond unless it extends the limit.

Common mistakes

• Provincial laws and provincial FOI requests are handled by each province, not by the federal system.
• Extensions under section 9 of the Act can lengthen response times considerably.

How do I find a Canadian federal law?

Search the Justice Laws Website by title or keyword; each Act has a consolidated version and earlier versions.

How long does a federal access to information request take?

The Access to Information Act sets 30 days, which an institution may extend for large requests or consultations, with notice to the requester.

Questions answered using this source

• How many MPs are in the House of Commons?

Links checked 14 October 2026. This page describes what the source publishes and gives no verdict on any claim.