News
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27 February 2013
Irish Court Says NAMA Covered by Disclosure Rule
The Irish Court Feb. 27 held that the National Assets Management Agency is a public authority subject to freedom of information requests. Environmental Information Commissioner Emily O’Reilly has issued such ruling in September 2011, but NAMA appealed, argued that it is not a “public authority.” NAMA is a government-backed financial body established to help bail […]
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27 February 2013
Zambia Again Delays Introduction of FOI Bill
The government of Zambia says a freedom of information bill will be submitted in June, continuing a pattern of delay in unveiling a bill. In December, a key Zambian minister promised that a bill would be presented to Parliament in the first quarter of 2013, according to a newspaper report. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) Now the same minister […]
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25 February 2013
Austria, With Worst Rated RTI Law, Resists Reform
The country with the lowest-rated right to information law in the world has told a European human rights watchdog that it does not need to improve the law. Austria came in 93rd out of 93 countries, according to the Global RTI Rating done by Access Info Europe (AIE) and the Centre for Law and Democracy […]
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23 February 2013
OGP Leaders Decide Against Reacting to National Issues
The Steering Committee of the Open Government Partnership will only comment on national controversies in several defined “exceptional circumstances,” according to a Feb. 21 statement. The two-page statement comes in the wake of a request that the Steering Committee “signal” disappointment that the Philippines, a Steering Committee member, failed to pass freedom of information legislation. […]
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22 February 2013
National Security Principles Project Nearing Completion
The Open Society Justice Initiative is seeking comment on the latest draft of its major effort to craft “Principles on National Security and Right to Information.” The goal is to complete the project in early April. Sandra Coliver, Senior Legal Officer, Freedom of Information & Expression, OSJI, presented an overview of the project in testimony to […]
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22 February 2013
EU Court Considers Appeal in Case Brought by Access Info
The Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg held a hearing Feb. 21 on whether the Council of the European Union can prevent disclosing the names of EU states that supported proposals to limit EU transparency. Disclosure of the positions of different member states would undermine the EU’s “effectiveness,” according to the Council, but […]
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22 February 2013
Ghana President Pledges to `Implement’ FOI Law
In his State of the Nation speech, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama Feb. 21 made “Transparent and Accountable Governance” one of his four “vital pillars” and said he will implement a freedom of information law. The law has been tied up in Parliament with very little progress in recent years. Campaigners this year have begun […]
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22 February 2013
FOI Supporters Organize Against UK Amendments
Opponents of government proposals to amend the freedom of information law in the United Kingdom are organizing their campaign. Plans include an online petition and efforts to lobby members of parliament, leaders of the opposition Campaign for Freedom of Information announced Feb. 18, This and commentary on the proposals is contained in a report by Matt […]
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22 February 2013
OGP Proposes Guide for Independent Evaluators
The Open Government Partnership has invited public comment on a detailed research draft guide to be used by the independent evaluators who will review national action plans. Comments will be accepted through March 7, according to posting about the draft guide, which includes the necessary links to documents. The 20-25 page reports to be prepared […]
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22 February 2013
President of El Salvador Vetoes Access Amendments
President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador Feb. 14 quickly vetoed controversial amendments to the country’s Access to Public Information Law The president vetoed the legislation within a few hours of receiving it. Later in the evening the National Assembly accepted it and archived the proposal. On Feb. 16 the president said that he will soon […]
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22 February 2013
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case on State Discrimination
The U.S. Supreme Court seems unlikely to a overturn a prohibition by the state of Virginia against freedom of information requests by nonresidents, according to most media reports on the case. The plaintiffs argued that the restriction in state law was unconstitutional interference with interstate commerce and the Privileges and Immunities Clause. The case (McBurney v. […]
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22 February 2013
FOI Notes: Open Data Census, Research, Legislatures, OGP, Bedbugs
Open Data Census: A blog post by Rufus Pollack, founder and co-director of the Open Knowledge Foundation also includes a description of a developing effort to create a single overall ranking, an Open Data Index. Pollack also writes about how progress in open government data “is not (just) about the number of datasets being released. […]
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22 February 2013
Germany Urged to Join OGP, Improve Open Data Releases
Activists in Germany are urging the government to make the data sets it releases more useable and join the Open Government Partnership. In a recent joint statement signed by more than 300 groups and persons from the German open data community criticized the government data portal started last year and recommended improvements, such as releasing […]
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19 February 2013
Standards for Proactive Disclosure Recommended
Clearer standards are needed for what constitutes proactive disclosure of information by governments, according to speakers at a Feb. 19 webinar (as recorded) sponsored by the OGP Networking Mechanism of Global Integrity and the World Bank Institute. Proactive disclosure “is a very important obligation which I would argue we have not yet translated into clear […]
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18 February 2013
Two Alternative FOI Bills Complicate Moroccan Scene
The expected passage of a government-backed freedom of information bill in Morocco has been complicated by the entry of competing versions, one proposed by an opposition political party and one by a political party that is part of the government coalition. There has been a proposal backed by different forces to organize a meeting in March to discuss the […]
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18 February 2013
Indian Women Not Using RTI Act Enough, Activists Say
Women in India are not using the Right to Information Act as much as they should, according to persons quoted in an article on the subject by Partha Sarathi Biswas in the Indian Express. One indicator cited is the low registration in training classes sponsored by Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHDA). Former Central […]
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18 February 2013
OGP Leaders Hold Meeting on Future Directions, Strategy
Leaders of the Open Government Partnership Feb. 18 held a meeting in Jakarta “to start a dialogue for renewed strategic vision & future” of the OGP, according to a tweet from the Indonesian government. The governments of Indonesia and the United Kingdom tweeted about the meeting, the OGP “storified” the tweets, there are photos posted […]
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18 February 2013
Philippines Official Replies to Criticisms on FOI Legislation
A Philippines official has replied to allegations that the Aquino administration failed to live up to its commitments by not making sure a freedom of information bill passed, saying that other priorities took precedence. The government has taken other steps to increase transparency, according to the Feb. 13 letter which was sent to the members […]
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15 February 2013
Revised African Model Law Posted in Advance of Meeting
A revised version of the proposed model law on access to information for Africa has been prepared for an upcoming meeting of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Discussion of the new draft is planned during the Commission’s meeting Feb. 18-25 in Banjul, Gambia. The new version, in English and French, is posted […]
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15 February 2013
President of El Salvador to Veto Access Law Changes
President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador has decided to veto controversial amendments (text in Spanish) to the country’s Access to Public Information Law (ATPIL), according to an article in Diaro la Pagina. The changes (text in Spanish) were passed Feb. 8 by the National Assembly. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) Critics had called on the president to […]