ICO Begins Extended Wednesday Office Hours
Information Commissioner Gitanjali S. Gutierrez announced that the Information Commissioner’s Office will begin its new extended evening office hours on Wednesdays, starting today [April 13].
On Wednesdays, the Information Commissioner’s Office will be open for extended evening hours from 9:00am to 7:00pm to accommodate members of the public who may not be able to reach the Office during regular business hours.
The Information Commissioner’s Office will be open during usual business hours Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and on Fridays, it will be open from 9:00am to 4:30pm.
“Our staff have discussed how to best accommodate individuals whose work schedules or location make it difficult to come into Hamilton, access the resources in our Office on a drop-in basis, and then return to their commitments during a break in their day,” stated Information Commissioner Gutierrez.
“We have agreed to extend our hours on Wednesday evenings so people can come in from the East or West End after work, and so people also do not have to use their lunch break to visit our Office unless they want to.”
“We encourage and welcome members of the public to visit our Office anytime during the day, but we recognised that our flexibility in opening hours may be beneficial to some people who would like to come by after work,” explained Information Commissioner Gutierrez.
“People visit our Office for all kinds of reasons. They may come to find out how and where to file a PATI request, want to learn more generally about the Public Access to Information [PATI] Act, or want to make arrangements for our staff to present an educational program to their group.”
The Information Commissioner’s Office provides resources and responds to general inquiries about all aspects of the PATI Act.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has a collection of all of the Information Statements published by public authorities. These Information Statements describe the records the public authorities hold and the contact information for submitting a PATI request to various authorities.
Information Commissioner’s Office staff are also available to explain how the PATI request process works, how to ask the Information Commissioner for an independent review, and what the exemptions [legitimate reasons a public authority can refuse access] in the PATI Act mean.
The Information Commissioner’s Office staff provide general education about the rights and obligations under the PATI Act through educational programs, in-person discussions, and phone and email inquiries.
Designated parking for the Information Commissioner’s Office is available on Parliament Street next to the Office and in front of the former Police Station. Visitors arriving before 6.00pm may obtain a parking pass from the Information Commissioner’s Office.
“Our aim is for everyone to feel welcome to come and talk to us about how to exercise their right to access information under the PATI Act and that they become knowledgeable and empowered to go out and file a request.”
The Information Commissioner’s Office is located in the Valerie T. Scott Building, 60 Reid Street, Hamilton. The staff can be reached at 294-9181 or info@ico.bm. Further information is also available on the Information Commissioner’s Office website, www.ico.bm.
