What’s New
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10 March 2016
Indian Activists Question Circulation of Rules as Model
The Indian agency that supervises right to information administration has circulated for discussion the RTI Act rules of the state of Uttar Pradesh, according to The Economic Times. RTI activists say that that the UP rules are worse than those of other states and worried that they might be considered as a model for national […]
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10 March 2016
Bangladesh Parliament Refuses to Disclose Attendance Records
The Secretariat of the Bangladesh parliament has rejected requests for the attendance records of the deputies of parliament. According to Section 7 (q) of the Right to Information Act, providing “information that may be prejudicial to the special rights of the House of the Nation” is not mandatory, according to the Secretariat, as reported by […]
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10 March 2016
CHRI Critiques Draft Law Developed in Myanmar
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has issued an analysis of a draft right to information law for Myanmar. “CHRI’s first and foremost recommendation to the Government of Myanmar is to launch a public consultation process around the Draft RTI Bill,” according to the analysis. The CHRI critique is based on an English translation of the […]
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10 March 2016
Will RTI Ever Be Promulgated in Tanzania?
By Deus Kibamba The author is trained in Political Science, International Politics and International Law. This article first appeared The Citizen. There are things worthy of not forgetting in life. One of such very memorable landmarks during the Fourth Phase government of Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete is his 10-year promise to legislate for the right […]
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10 March 2016
Venezuelan Assembly Passes Access Bill on First Reading
The Venezuelan National Assembly has approved on first reading a draft Law on Transparency, Disclosure and Access to Public Information, according to an article (in Spanish) in El Universal. Simon Calzadilla, second vice president of the Assembly National, presented the bill, commenting that public administration in Venezuela is “dark.” See a video explanation of the bill […]
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10 March 2016
FOI Notes: FOI Advocacy, India, UK, US, Argentina, Open Meetings, Commentary, More
United States: The Sunshine in Government Initiative announces WITHOUT FOIA, a project to show FOIA’s impact through examples. India: Nagaland Information Commission has one the lowest rates of rejection of RTI applications recorded in the country at 0.7% cumulative. Only 3% of the RTI applicants in Nagaland are female. Bukchem Phom, Chief Information Commissioner, cited these […]
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9 March 2016
Justice Department Opposed 2014 FOI Reform Legislation
The Obama administration lobbied against legislation to reform the Freedom of Information Act that died in late 2014. DOJ’s positions, unacknowledged at the time, are described in documents obtained through a FOIA lawsuit by Freedom of the Press Foundation. (Full DOJ memo laying out opposition to FOIA reform and 114 pages of other FOIA’d documents.) The […]
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9 March 2016
Tunisan Groups Criticize Draft FOI Legislation
A coalition of groups have blasted a proposed right to information law in Tunisia. The bill includes vague and unconstitutional exceptions, according to a statement by the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, Al Bawsala, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), […]
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9 March 2016
OGP Body Recommends Declaring Azerbaijan Inactive
Azerbaijan should be declared an “inactive” member of the Open Government Partnership, an OGP subcommittee has recommended. Such a designation would be the first time the OGP has disciplined a member for not adhering to OGP principles. The recommendation will be taken up by the OGP Steering Committee May 3-4, according to the minutes of […]
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3 March 2016
Karina Banfi Proposes FOI Bill in Argentina’s Legislature
Argentinian legislator Karina Banfi has introduced a Draft Law on Access to Public Information (File 6593-16). Noting that the right of access to public information is a human right, Banfi stressed that the law is vital to more democratic forms of communication between civil society and the state, according to an article. The development of […]
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3 March 2016
Human Rights Body Questions Provision in Mexican FOI Law
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has expressed reservations about a provision in the new Mexican freedom of information law. The comments are included in a report entitled “The Human Rights Situation in Mexico.” “Although the Law contains a prohibition against hiding or denying information related to gross human rights violations, the Commission points out […]
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3 March 2016
FOI Notes: OGP Working Group Election, 30 More Items (Got Carried Away)
OGP Access Working Group: The OGP Access to Information Working Group announces a process for creating a new steering committee “to support implementation of the work plan, help set direction for the working group, and assure a more robust and vibrant engagement of different members and stakeholders.” The process envisions self-nomination and an election by […]
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3 March 2016
Armenian Court Rules Against Fees for Personal Information
Armenia’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the government can’t charge persons who request their personal information. The Freedom of Information Center brought the case against the State Cadastre Committee, according to a posting. The Constitutional Court annulled Article 71 and Article 32 (2) of the Law on State Registration of Rights of Property to the […]
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2 March 2016
Hungarian Parliament Passes Big Exemptions From FOIA
The Hungarian parliament on March 1 approved new disclosure exemptions for the state-owned postal service and for foundations established by the National Bank of Hungary, according to articles such as one in Hungary Today. The post office, which also provides financial and insurance services, will no longer be required to divulge public data if it or […]
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2 March 2016
Serbian Commissioner Puts 13 Datasets on New Portal
The Serbian information commissioner has launched an open data site. In a press release (Serbian), the commissioner’s office said thirteen datasets have been published, including a list of the 11,000 public institutions covered by the FOI law. Other data published concerns the complaints about information requests and their status the office received, as well as […]
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2 March 2016
Nigerian Judge Orders Release of Data on Looted Funds
The Nigerian Federal High Court has ruled that the government must disclose information about stolen public funds, rejecting a government argument that the request covered a period before enactment of the freedom of information act. The court ordered the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to “ensure that his government, and the governments of former President […]
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2 March 2016
Sri Lankan Access Bill Going to Parliament on March 8
The right to information bill will be presented to Parliament on March 8, Sri Lanka’s Mass Media and Parliamentary Reforms Deputy Minister Karunaratne Paranavithana has said. He said all Provincial Councils have endorsed the draft bill referred to them. “There was a slight delay in the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) in giving consent to the […]
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1 March 2016
Survey Examines Influence of Governance Datasets
A new website aggregating dozens of datasets assessing different aspects of governance was introduced March 1 by the Global Data Alliance, which also announced the results of a study about what data is influential and who’s listening. The most influential dataset was the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, according to the responses to an international […]
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1 March 2016
UK Commission Says Few Changes Needed in FOIA
A controversial ad hoc commission in the United Kingdom has surprised critics by not recommending many changes to the freedom of information act. The final report issued March 1 was a welcome relief to those who had charged that the commission was stacked in favor of undercutting FOI Also welcome was a statement by the Cabinet […]
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25 February 2016
Malawi Groups Urge Defeat of Revised Access Legislation
The Malawi Parliament should turn down an access to information bill recently approved by the Cabinet, according to four advocacy groups. Among other things, they object to charging for information and making the law prospective only. The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and the Centre for Development of People (Cedep) in a statement […]