Appendix B

Disclosure References and Authorities

Please note, this list is not comprehensive. It refers to the most commonly referenced resources and authorities that govern our Detachment’s release of information.

Reference / Authority	Description
Access to Information Act	Federal legislation that grants Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people or corporation present in Canada access to information under the control of the Government of Canada.
Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Branch	Provides formal responses to requests made under the Access to Information and Privacy Act. Requests are filtered and disseminated to the appropriate offices/holders of information, such as a Detachment. The Detachment reviews, prepares and forwards the response and the ATIP office formally releases to requestor.
Detachment Unit Supplements	Policies established at the Detachment level to control the flow and maintenance of information held at the Detachment. These will vary by Detachment.
Divisional Policies	Each Division of the RCMP (British Columbia is part of “E” Division) has their own set of policies and procedures when it comes to information release. These will also vary by Division and are often influence by Provincial legislation.
Federal Statutes and Regulations	In addition the Access to Information and Privacy Acts, other Federal statutes and regulations, such as the Criminal Records Act, will influence and guide the release of information.
Freedom of Information Legislation (FOI)	FOI rights are defined by the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Act and Provincial Freedom of Information Acts.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)/Letters of Agreements (LOA)	The RCMP are a part of a number of MOU’s and LOA’s with other departments, agencies and organizations Each one involves a form of legal commitment or agreement pertaining to information sharing or disclosing facts under certain circumstances. These do not supersede any form of Legislation however, will provide additional requirements and/or processes when requests are made by those who fall under an active MOU or LOA
Multi-jurisdictional files	Files that extend beyond the West Shore jurisdiction will now also fall under the policies and regulations of other RCMP Detachments and Municipal Policing Agencies. Knowledge of other Police policies regarding release of information and how they function with or against our policies is vital to ensure information is protected when necessary and released when permitted.
Privacy Act	Federal legislation that grants Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people or corporation present in Canada the right to access personal information held by the Government of Canada in addition to ensuring the protection of unauthorized use and release of that personal information.
Provincial Legislation	Legislation that is established at the Provincial level to govern the control and release of information (ex. Motor Vehicle Act).
RMCP Act & RCMP Policies	The RCMP Act and RCMP policies are in place to further ensure the proper management, protection, retention and release of information held in its custody. These policies can supersede Divisional and Detachment policies if required.