News
-
25 March 2011
Banisar Study Explores Interplay of RTI, Privacy laws
There is no simple solution to balancing the sometimes competing rights of access to information and protection of privacy, “but most issues can be mitigated through the enactment of clear definitions in legislation, guidelines, techniques, and oversight systems,” according to a report by David Banisar, Senior Legal Counsel for Article 19, the London-based freedom of […]
-
24 March 2011
Pakistani Activists Urge Promise-Keeping on RTI
The Pakistan government should fulfill its promise to enact a new right to information law, activists said during a demonstration in Islamabad. A March 17 walk to the parliament building was organized by the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives. They asked why top officials have not fulfilled pledges to replace the Freedom of Information […]
-
23 March 2011
Court Clears Way for Disclosures About U.S. Bailout
The U.S. Supreme Court March 21 decided not to overturn two related federal appeals court rulings requiring the Federal Reserve to disclose details about financial aid to banks and other institutions during the 2008 financial crisis. Bloomberg and Fox News Network sought information under the Freedom of Information Act about which institutions sought and received […]
-
23 March 2011
Consortium Issues Draft of Transparency Principles
A draft set of “Principles on National Security & Access to Information” has been released for comment by groups developing them as a resource for policymakers. Developing the principles are: the Open Society Justice Initiative, Article 19, Centre for Law & Democracy, Centre for National Security Studies, ICJ, Institute for Security Studies, National Security Archive, […]
-
23 March 2011
South African Committee Resumes on Secrecy Bill
After a two-month procedural delay, the South African parliament has cleared the way for a committee to resume work on the contested Protection of Information Bill. The parliament set a deadline of June 24 for the ad hoc committee to complete its work. In January, opposition party members balked at continuing deliberations without standard procedures […]
-
23 March 2011
EU Court Supports Disclosing Names of Countries
The Council of the European Union was not justified in refusing to disclose the identities of countries taking positions on reform of the European Union’s access to information rules, the General Court of the EU has decided. The Court found that the Council had “in no way demonstrated” how publication of the country names would “seriously […]
-
23 March 2011
Israeli Cabinet Approves Creation of New FOI Unit
The Israeli Cabinet March 6 approved the creation of a central freedom of information unit, to be housed within the Ministry of Justice. The unit is authorized to “to guide government ministries in regard to wrong-doing revealed in their handling of FOI requests.” In addition, the new office will create a website to provide information, […]
-
19 March 2011
Source Disclosure Clause in FOI Bill Riles Nigerian Press
Nigerian media groups are lambasting a provision inserted by the Nigerian Senate into its version of the freedom of information bill that would require journalists to disclose their sources , according to media reports such as one in The Nation. The president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Garba Muhammed, called it a “watered […]
-
19 March 2011
Spanish Minister to Decide on Proposing Transparency Law
Spain’s Ministry of the Presidency on March 17 promised civil society organizations of Spain’s Coalicion Pro Acceso to say, within one month, whether the Spanish government will propose freedom of information legislation. Minister Ramón Jáuregui told the coalition that the law has not been definitively shelved, despite the press of other business, and that he […]
-
16 March 2011
Nigerian Senate Passes Modified FOI Legislation
The Nigerian Senate March 16 passed a freedom of information bill considered weaker than the House bill and a “harmonization conference committee” has been appointed to resolve the differences. During debate March 15, the Senate amended the bill to eliminate a provision that would have required requesters to demonstrate “the need” for disclosure of the […]
-
16 March 2011
U.S. Announces Variety of New Transparency Plans
Although a scheduled meeting of freedom of information activists with President Obama on U.S. Freedom of Information Day was postponed, administration officials took advantage of “Sunshine Week” to make a variety of pro-transparency announcements. FOI leaders had planned to laud Obama publicly for his commitment to transparency while privately pressing him to do more. However, […]
-
14 March 2011
Indian RTI Conference Adopts 12-Point Shillong Declaration
Indian right to know activists March 13 passed a 12-point resolution urging that the law’s jurisdiction be expanded to cover Public-Private Partnership (PPP) entities, political parties, trade unions, and nongovernmental organizations. The “Shillong Declaration” was approved at the conclusion of a three day national RTI conference in Shillong, attended by about 1,000 persons. The declarations […]
-
14 March 2011
Obama Transparency Pledges Unfulfilled, NSA Report Says
The Obama administration is only about halfway toward its promise of improving Freedom of Information responsiveness among federal agencies, according to the new Knight Open Government Survey by the National Security Archive, released March 14 for Sunshine Week at www.nsarchive.org. On his first day in office, January 21, 2009, President Obama issued a presidential memorandum instructing federal […]
-
11 March 2011
El Salvador Joins the List of FOI Countries
By Natalia Torres Senior Researcher, CELE The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador March 3 gave definitive approval to the Law on Access to Public Information. The law, which was first passed in December of last year, received a series of observations from the president of the country. Congress had to either reject or incorporate them […]
-
11 March 2011
Agenda Set for Global Conference on Transparency
More than 100 papers will be presented at the 1st Global Conference on Transparency Research to be held in late May by Rutgers University-Newark, New Jersey. “This is the first large meeting of its kind to bring together leading scholars from throughout the world to collectively advance our understanding of the impact and implications of […]
-
11 March 2011
Indian RTI Activists Gather for National Meeting
Some 500 participants are attending a three-day national convention on right to information in Shillong, India, titled “Reclaim Democracy,” from March 10-12. Aruna Roy, social activist and member of the National Advisory Council, addressed the convention, saying, “The Right to Information Act is the most fundamental law this country has seen as it can be […]
-
11 March 2011
Article 19 Criticizes Draft Bolivian FOI Bill
Draft Bolivian freedom of information legislation should be adopted, but needs improvement according to the London-based freedom of expression group Article 19. The group praised the draft bill’s broad application, including to private bodies performing public services, and a provision “to promote public transparency in public management.” Allowing the use of e-mail for requests and […]
-
11 March 2011
Canadian Info Commissioner Issues Report Card
There were “limited gains” in the transparency of Canada’s federal institutions, according to a “report card” issued March 10 by the Information Commissioner of Canada, Suzanne Legault. The headlines about the report emphasized the poor ratings given the Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation “for dragging their feet on answering information requests from […]
-
11 March 2011
Scottish Commissioner Issues Annual Report
Scottish public authorities are handling more freedom of information requests and are more likely to disclose information, according to research accompanying publication by the Scottish Information Commissioner of the 2010 Annual Report. According to a statement: A survey of FOI officers across Scotland found that over two thirds reported a rise in FOI requests over […]
-
10 March 2011
Statewatch Criticizes EC Position on Access
The European Commission’s recent indication that in March it will propose a limited amendment to the European Union’s regulation on public access to EU documents has drawn sharp criticism from a leading watchdog group. The Commission’s latest Work Programme for 2011 (Ref. No. 2011/SG/006, Page 33) includes the additional goal of: “Incorporate in regulation 1049/2002 […]