What’s New
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3 June 2015
Other Issues Sidetrack RTI Legislation in Sri Lanka
The right to information bill in Sri Lanka has lost momentum, according to several persons following the legislation that the new government said would pass in the first 100 days. Political attention has turned to the 20th Amendment to the Constitution concerning the election system. The RTI bill “was presented and approved by the Cabinet […]
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3 June 2015
Sharma Picked to Head Indian Info Commission
India’s most senior incumbent information commissioner, Vijai Sharma, has been chosen to be the new Chief Information Commissioner, according to media reports. A formal announcement has not taken place, but Sharma’s apparent selection came at a meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had June 1 with the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok […]
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3 June 2015
Slipping Compliance Prompts Call for Georgia FOI Reform
The rate of response to freedom of information requests by the Georgian government has dipped recently, according to a new report that urges the government to follow through on a promise to pass a new FOI law. The description is contained in a chapter of a report,“Government: Georgian Dream’s Performance Review,” was presented on May […]
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3 June 2015
Political Will Exists to Pass FOI Legislation in Seychelles
The signs for approval of a freedom of information law in the Seychelles are positive, according to an article about a recent symposium on the topic that was attended by President James Michel. “Political will at the highest level” exists in support of a FOI law, according to Maxwell Kadiri from the Open Society Justice […]
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28 May 2015
Philippines House Cleared to Take Up on FOIA Legislation
A freedom of information bill may get debated in coming weeks in the Philippines House of Representatives. The legislation (House Bill No. 5801) recently was cleared on second reading by the Committee on Public Information, which first approved it late last year. Two committees that considered the bill have filed their reports. Congress is expected […]
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28 May 2015
Bapna Chosen to Be Future OGP Civil Society Chair
Manish Bapna of the World Resources Institute has been elected as next in line to be the chairperson representing civil society organizations on the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee. Bapna will assume that role in late 2017. He is Executive Vice President and Managing Director for the World Resources Institute. WRI recent issued its Environmental […]
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28 May 2015
New Florida Law Exempts Body Camera Footage
Florida Governor Rick Scott on May 21 signed into law a bill that would substantially exempt from disclosure footage taken with cameras worn by police officers. Florida thus becomes the second state to create special exemptions for body camera footage. North Dakota passed such a law in April. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) In Texas, a […]
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28 May 2015
Nepal RTI Activists Urge More Post-Earthquake Information
Right to information activists in Nepal have urged the government to provide more proactive disclosure and dissemination of information related to its efforts in the wake of devastating earthquake that struck the country. A memorandum (in Nepali language) containing 19 points was sent to National Information Commission by the Citizens’ Campaign for Right to Information […]
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28 May 2015
FOI Notes: Open Data and RTI, New Books, Australia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, US, Canada, EU, Pakistan
Open Data/RTI: “Right to Data = RTI + open formats+ reuse,” according to a blog post by Silvana Fumega, one of several speakers on a panel on open data and RTI at the International Open Data Conference being held in Toronto, Canada, May 28 and 29. Some of the sessions (but not this one it […]
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27 May 2015
Several African Nations Criticized at OGP Meeting
Tanzania and several other African countries were chastised on the subject of access to information at a recent regional meeting of Open Government Partnership held May 20-21 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, however, told the delegates that he plans to sign two controversial bills — on media regulation bill and freedom of information […]
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21 May 2015
US Officials Still Support Central FOIA Request Portal
The Obama administration is still committed to the goal of creating a consolidated portal from which citizens can make freedom of information requests, according to official statements made to FreedomInfo.org. The assurances come after the recent “soft launch” of OpenFOIA generated questions about how much progress was being made. The latest version of OpenFOIA provides […]
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21 May 2015
Bahamian Government Offers Revised FOIA Legislation
The government of the Bahamas on May 19 proposed freedom of information legislation (text). Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald, the minister responsible for the legislation, was quoted as saying that the draft bill would dramatically improve upon the act that the former Ingraham Administration passed shortly before the May 2012 general election, that was never […]
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21 May 2015
FI Notes: OGP Grants, India, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Trade, Alaveteli, Australia, Portugal, UK, US, IMF
Funding: The OGP Access to Information Working Group announced its Access to Information Working Group Microgrant: Demonstrating ATI Linkages to OGP Progress Call for Applications. Applications are due no later than May 31, 2015. “The microgrants, in the amount of US$1,500 for research papers and US$3,000 for projects, are aimed at demonstrating the importance of access […]
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20 May 2015
Tunisian Parliament Works on Access to Information
A Tunisian parliamentary committee May 18 continued consideration of a bill on access to information that has been criticized by some media organizations. “The draft is good in general,” one transparency activist told FreedomInfo.org, “except some weaknesses especially regarding the regime of exceptions, sanctions and proactive disclosure.” The Commission of the Rights, Freedoms and External […]
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20 May 2015
Environmental Transparency Rated in Multi-Factor Index
An Environmental Democracy Index unveiled May 20 uses 75 indicators to evaluate 70 countries in three main areas: transparency, participation and access to justice. The index was created by the World Resources Institute and The Access Initiative “based on objective and internationally recognized standards established by the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Bali Guidelines.” While […]
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18 May 2015
OGP Agrees Azerbaijan Harassing Civil Society
The Open Government Partnership has taken the first step in a process that could lead to Azerbaijan being declared an “inactive” member. An OGP subcommittee announced May 18 that it agrees with complaints from civil society organizations (CSOs) that the Azerbaijan government is restricting CSOs and acting in ways inconsistent with OGP principles. In the […]
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14 May 2015
Pace on Body Camera Bills Slow; Restrictions Advance
By Toby McIntosh Only two state legislatures so far have passed bills restricting the disclosure of videos taken with cameras worn by police officers as the topic has proven hot to handle. Debates on the competing claims for transparency and privacy remain ongoing in many state legislatures, however, with advancing bills all tilting in the […]
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14 May 2015
FOI Notes: Nigeria, India, Pakistan, US, Open Data, Ireland, EU, OGP
Nigeria: Right to Know Nigeria has created a FoI Case Tracker. The group also issued an animated pamphlet titled “FoI Act; Your Right to Know.” United States: The House Oversight Committee is soliciting stories about experiences with FOIA, providing an online feedback form. The committee also asked nearly two dozen public interest groups to share their […]
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13 May 2015
Senate in Chile Considering Strengthening Access Law
The Chilean Senate is studying draft amendments to strengthen the access to information law. The Special Committee on Probity and Transparency has under analysis a draft that will change the status of public servants e-mails, making them subject to disclosure. Other changes would expand the reach of the law to cover entities that perform functions […]
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13 May 2015
UK Prince Memos Released; FOIA Changes Threatened
As the British public finally got a look at memos sent by Prince Charles to government ministers, the re-elected Conservative government indicated its intention to tighten control of the freedom of information law. The release of the royal memos culminating a 10-year legal battle fought by The Guardian newspaper, which finally got to describe the […]