What’s New
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9 June 2014
US FOI Ombudsman Urged to Issue Advisory Opinions
A federal advisory group in the United States on June 5 recommended that the freedom of information act ombudsman should issue advisory opinions. Although this is permitted by law, the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) has not issued any such opinions since being established in 2007. OGIS assists individuals with FOIA requests, including offering […]
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6 June 2014
FreedomInfo.org Prepares List of FOI Quotations
Wonderful quotations about freedom of information abound. FreedomInfo.org has compiled the following collection of 67 entries, arranged chronologically from the 18th century to very recent times. The latest addition is from Aruna Roy: “The right to know is the right to live.” Please help us expand and improve this list. Precise citations are needed in […]
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6 June 2014
Push for Bahamian FOI Law to Kick Off With March
A broad coalition of groups is planning a march on June 11 to dramatize a campaign for a freedom of information law. The march is being supported by some political parties, churches, trade unions, business associations, concerned citizens’ groups, including Bahamas Against Crime and the Bahamas Humane Society. The Trade Union Congress has called on […]
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6 June 2014
Australian `War on Transparency’ Described
A lengthy article by Rodney Tiffen, “The Abbott government’s war on transparency,” documents government efforts to undermine transparency in Australia. “What is at stake in these moves to reduce public transparency and public knowledge is not only who gains partisan advantage, but also, and much more importantly, the capacity of citizens and consumers to make […]
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6 June 2014
UK ICO Calls Future FOI Funding Critical
By Mathew Burgess Burgess is a UK digital journalist, freelancer and is writing a book on the Freedom of Information Act for journalists. This post appeared June 6 on his blog, FOIA Directory. He can be found tweeting @mattburgess1. The future of funding for Freedom of Information in the UK has reached a ‘critical’ level, […]
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6 June 2014
FOI Notes: Research, Audits, Reports, Interviews More
Research: “Does Access to Information Empower the Poor? Evidence from the Dominican Republic,” a report by Emmanuel Skoufias (World Bank), Renata Narita (Universidade de São Paulo) and Ambar Narayan (World Bank). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 6895 (on SSRN) and on Bank website. This paper assesses the impact of an effort in the Dominican […]
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6 June 2014
EC Criticized for Demanding Addresses in Online Requests
Access Info Europe on June 2 charged that the European Commission “is impeding the public’s right to submit access to documents requests via the AsktheEU.org web portal by refusing to register requests which are not accompanied by a postal address.” AsktheEU.org is run by Access Info Europe and forwards users’ requests via email, with requests […]
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6 June 2014
California Voters Reinstate Local Records Law Coverage
California voters June 3 approved a ballot measure requiring local governments to comply with the California Public Records Act (CPRA). Proposition 42 received 61.5 percent for, 38.5 percent against. The measure also mandates that local governments pay the cost of complying with the records and meetings law, an expense the state previously was required to pay, according […]
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5 June 2014
Public Private Partnership Project documents becoming public in India
By Venkatesh Nayak Nayak is Programme Coordinator of the Access to Information Programme at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has taken the progressive step of uploading concession agreements and progress reports about the Pubic Private Partnership projects (PPPs) under its jurisdiction through the Internet. The links to project […]
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30 May 2014
Paraguayan House Passes Amended Access Legislation
The Paraguayan House May 28 approved access to public information legislation. The House amended the Senate-passed bill, in particular, Article 22, which defines confidential information, in ways considered positive by pro-transparency advocates. Exceptions are not specifically established in the bill. Instead, Article 22 refers to provisions in other laws that impose confidentiality. Groups supporting the […]
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30 May 2014
Model FOIA Regulations Being Drafted in United States
By Lauren Harper This article was published in Unredacted, a blog of the National Security archive, with which FreedomInfo.org is affiliated. Harper is an NSA staff member. The National Security Archive has partnered with our colleagues at the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), to publish a set […]
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30 May 2014
Bhutan National Council Delays Action on RTI Bill
The National Council of Bhutan has decided to delay action on the Right to information Bill 2014, according to a May 29 announcement. The National Council’s concerns about “obstruction” by the Prime Minister are further laid out in a longer document. The RTI bill was passed Feb. 5 by the National Assembly, the lower body, and sent […]
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30 May 2014
Rio Declaration Follow-Up Covers Access, Participation
Efforts are advancing to clarify what access rights should look like in the context of the environment and development in Latin America and the Caribbean. A committee has developed a list of concepts that should be included as efforts continue to follow up on the application of Principle 10 (environmental democracy) of the 2012 Rio […]
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30 May 2014
OGP Chooses New Experts for Next Independent Reviews
The Open Government Partnership has published the list of next group of reviwwers who will examine national action plans. The process, known as the Independent Reporting Mechanism, involves hiring independent experts to author progress reports on implementation of each country’s OGP action plan. A number of known access to information experts are among those chosen. […]
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30 May 2014
FOI Notes: FOI Technology, OGP Commentary, Japan, Open Data, More
Japan: The new Designated State Secrets Law is analyzed in lengthy article by Usaki Masahiro, a professor of law at Doky? University. United States/Technology: The Justice Department reports on the use of technology in processing FOIA requests. Among other findings, “Over a quarter of the agencies reported offering requesters the ability to track the status […]
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30 May 2014
Mexican Court Orders Release of Documents on Massacre Investigations
By Michael Evans and Jesse Franzblau Evans and Franzblau work at the National Security Archive. This report first appeared May 29 in Migration Declassified. Can the Mexican government continue to hide evidence from the public about grave human rights atrocities? A pair of access to information cases now moving through the Mexican justice system may put […]
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23 May 2014
UK Agrees to Provide Document on EU Discussions
Reversing course, the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has agreed to provide Access Info Europe with information on negotiations in Brussels to revise the European Union’s transparency rules. The changed position will end a four-year legal process arising from an information request made June 15, 2010, by Access Info Europe Campaigner Pam Bartlett […]
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23 May 2014
EU Right to Be Forgotten Ruling Sets Wheels in Motion
The implications of the European Court of Justice ruling on the “right to be forgotten” are being widely discussed, with much uncertain about its practical ramifications, including for accurate public information. In early June, EU data protection authorities are expected to convene to discuss adopting a consistent approach across Europe. Google has been in contact […]
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23 May 2014
OGP Drafts Strategic Plan; Debates Other Issues in Bali
The Open Government Partnership Steering Committee has developed a four-year strategy to deepen the impact of the OGP’s work. Looking at a growing budget to accomplish its goals, the committee agreed that the OGP “will expect” financial contributions from members. These and other matters were handled at a two-day closed meeting May 4-5 in Bali. […]
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23 May 2014
FOI Notes: Books, Articles, Conference
Book: La transparencia informativa de las Administraciones públicas (Information transparency of public administrations. The right of the people to know and the duty to disseminate public information actively) by Miguel Angel Climent Blanes has just been published by Thomson-Reuters Aranzadi (ISBN: 978-84-9059-397-4). The author is s Doctor in Law and has served as an officer […]