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Guide to FOI and court records

Learn how to file freedom of information requests, navigate the access system, appeal decisions and obtain court records using our tools and resources

Illustration of a laptop with a hand reaching out from the screen and ringing a bell. File boxes are stacked on shelves in the background
FOI 101

How to file an FOI request

Illustration of two people in a boat atop a sea of document boxes.
FOI 201

How to navigate the process once you’ve filed

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FOI 301

How to appeal a decision

Illustration of documents all over the map of Canada
GUIDE

How FOI fees, rules and processes vary by jurisdiction

Illustration by Romain Lasser
GUIDE

How to access Canadian court records by jurisdiction

Other resources

Letter generator

Are you looking for a government report, briefing note or dataset? Use the templates in our letter generator tool to kickstart your request

FOI tracking sheet

It’s important to stay on top of your FOI requests. Keep track of what you've filed, your contacts with FOI offices, deadlines and ongoing appeals using our tracking sheet

Example FOI letters

Looking for FOI inspiration? Check out some examples of actual requests filed by Globe journalists, all of which led to news stories