The
Information Act (Informationsgesetz) was adopted in May
1999 and went into force in January 2000.(1)
It allows any person to obtain files from state and municipal
organs and private individuals who are conducting public
tasks. Responses must be responded to in a "timely"
manner.
•
Total fertility rate (births per woman), 2005:
1.5
•
Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births),
2005: 4.7
Source:
CIA World Factbook
It
does not apply to documents under preparation. There are
exemptions for protecting decision- making, public security,
disproportionate expenditures, privacy, and professional
secrets. Documents are released based on a balance of interests
test.
Appeals
can be made to a court.
The
law also sets rules on the openness of meetings of the Parliament,
commissions and municipalities.
Liechtenstein
signed the Aarhus Convention in June 1998 but it has not
yet been ratified. Access to environmental information is
through the Information Act.
Under
the Archive Act 1997, documents are available 30 years after
creation. Documents containing personal information are
closed for 80 years.
Chapter
16 of the Criminal Code prohibits the disclosure of state
secrets. Punishment can be up to ten years imprisonment.
"The
law requires the Government to inform the public
of its activities, and government information
was available freely to all persons living in
the country, including foreign media."
1)
Voice and Accountability: 1.27
2) Political Instability and Violence: 1.39
3) Government Effectiveness: 1.48
4) Regulatory Burden: 1.62
5) Rule of Law: 1.36
6) Control of Corruption: 1.69
