• government departments and agencies, including the Conseil exécutif, the Conseil du Trésor, the Lieutenant-Governor and the National Assembly;

• municipalities, municipal and supramunicipal bodies, metropolitan communities, intermunicipal boards, intermunicipal transit corporations, municipal housing offices, regional county municipalities, the Kativik Regional Government, mixed enterprises companies;

• school boards, subsidized private educational institutions, CEGEPs, universities;

• local health and social services network development agencies, youth centres, shelters, CLSCs and hospitals.

There are exceptions, which can be found in sections 3 to 7 of the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information.

Also note that public bodies do not include courts of justice such as the Québec Court of Appeal, the Québec Superior Court, the Court of Québec and the Municipal Courts of Québec.

If I am dissatisfied with the response obtained in the case of a request for access, what can I do?
Answer: Have you been refused? Have you obtained an unsatisfactory response? Have you obtained no response from the person in charge of access?

It is therefore possible to file an application for review of the decision of a public body before the Commission d’accès à l’information. It is sufficient to write to the Commission and attach a copy of the application submitted to the public body and a copy of the response by the person in charge of access.

The recourse to be exercised in case of a refusal of access to a document held by a public body is called an “application for review”. This application must be addressed to the Commission d’accès à l’information – Secrétariat de la Commission within 30 calendar days of the refusal of the request or the expiration of the time limit to respond to it.

• government departments and agencies, including the Conseil exécutif, the Conseil du Trésor, the Lieutenant-Governor and the National Assembly;

• municipalities, municipal and supramunicipal bodies, metropolitan communities, intermunicipal boards, intermunicipal transit corporations, municipal housing offices, regional county municipalities, the Kativik Regional Government, mixed enterprises companies;

• school boards, subsidized private educational institutions, CEGEPs, universities;

• local health and social services network development agencies, youth centres, shelters, CLSCs and hospitals.

There are exceptions, which can be found in sections 3 to 7 of the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information.

Also note that public bodies do not include courts of justice such as the Québec Court of Appeal, the Québec Superior Court, the Court of Québec and the Municipal Courts of Québec.

Is there any charge?
Answer: Access to consult personal information contained in a file is free of charge. However, the public body may require a charge from the applicant not exceeding the cost of transcription, transmission or reproduction of the documents. Moreover, the public body must indicate the approximate amount to the applicant before making a copy of the document requested. The fees are detailed in Schedule 1 of the Fees for Documents and Nominative Information (Transcription, Reproduction and Transmission) Regulation.

If I am dissatisfied with the response obtained in the case of a request for access, what can I do?
Answer: Have you been refused? Have you obtained an unsatisfactory response? Have you obtained no response from the person in charge of access?

It is therefore possible to file an application for review of the decision of a public body before the Commission d’accès à l’information. It is sufficient to write to the Commission and attach a copy of the application submitted to the public body and a copy of the response by the person in charge of access.

The recourse to be exercised in case of a refusal of access to a document held by a public body is called an “application for review”. This application must be addressed to the Commission d’accès à l’information – Secrétariat de la Commission within 30 calendar days of the refusal of the request or the expiration of the time limit to respond to it.

I want to have a copy of my medical file kept at the hospital or at the CLSC. How do I file my application under the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information?
Answer: The request for access to your medical file is addressed to the designated person in charge of access for the public body that holds this document. The names of the persons in charge of all public bodies, including hospitals and CLSCs, appear in the list of persons in charge of access maintained by the Commission d’accès à l’information and accessible on the Commission’s Web site.

The application to the person in charge of access must be specific enough to allow the document to be located. However, the person in charge of access is required to lend assistance to any person who requires his/her help in formulating an application and identifying the document sought. Only a written application allows you to appeal to the Commission d’accès à l’information if you are dissatisfied with the decision of the person in charge of access or if the time limit for a response has elapsed.

In the event of refusal, the user may apply to the Commission within 30 calendar days of refusal of the request or expiration of the time limit to respond to it. The Commission asks that you attach a copy of the request for access submitted to the public body and a copy of the response by the person in charge of access.

Which persons at my work may have access to my medical diagnosis?
Answer: A backgrounder has been produced for Québec public service employees explaining the general principles of access to medical files. This backgrounder is available on the Commission’s Web site. Click here.