What’s New
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13 March 2015
Proactive Disclosure Lags in US, Archive Audit Finds
Only 40 percent of US government agencies systematically post online the records released through Freedom of Information Act requests, according to an audit done by the National Security Archive. The Archive team audited 165 federal agencies and found only 67 with online libraries populated with significant numbers of released FOIA documents and regularly updated. Proactive […]
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12 March 2015
Ugandan Magistrate Orders Disclosure by Government
In a major first victory under the Ugandan Access to Information act, a magistrate ordered the government to disclose information about the procurement of equipment to fight forest fires. The requester was Edward Sekyewa, Executive Director of the Hub for Investigative Media. The decision has not been adequately reported by the media, according to an […]
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12 March 2015
With Mexican Summit Ahead, OGP Subcommittees Busy
The next Open Government Partnership Global Summit meeting will likely be held during the last week of October somewhere in Mexico. In the meantime, the OGP Steering Committee, subcommittees and staff are developing plans and policies and dealing with finances and organizational issues. At a subcommittee meeting March 11, representatives from Malta and Turkey were […]
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12 March 2015
Positives and Negatives Seen in Review of Georgia FOI
Positive changes in terms of access to public information in Georgia were seen immediately after the parliamentary elections of October 2012, but the level of access to information was gradually decreasing in a number of state entities, according to a new report by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information. IDFI has been monitoring […]
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12 March 2015
FOI Notes: Open Data, World Bank, FOI Research, Mexico, US, India, Construction Transparency
United States: The FOIA Project is conducting a poll on the “worst FOIA failure,” with six candidates. Awlaki Memo FBI Drones Snowden Damage Secret Surveillance Bay of Pigs History Kennedy FBI File Open Data/FOI: Reflections by Lauranellen McCann urges attention to the civic role of technology, not just the proliferation of tools. Looking back at […]
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11 March 2015
US Agencies Improve Slightly in ATI Scorecard Ratings
Eight of 15 major U.S. agencies improved their scores on an “Access to Information Scorecard,” according to a report by a nongovernmental organizational, which reported that federal agencies “are still struggling to effectively and consistently implement public disclosure rules.” The report was the second comparative study by the Center for Effective Government and it concerns […]
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11 March 2015
Women Disadvantaged on Access to Info, Study Finds
Guatemalan women “face deep inequities in exercising their fundamental right of access to information,” according to a study (in Spanish) from The Carter Center’s Global Access to Information Initiative. At a Feb. 18 stakeholders meeting, participants developed recommendations in response to the findings. The study was carried out in five government departments and Guatemala City. […]
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11 March 2015
Canadian Ruling Says Courts Can Review Long Extensions
The Federal Court of Appeal in Canada on March 3 issued a decision confirming that courts can review the reasonableness of time delays in agency responses to freedom of information requests. A lower court had dismissed an application for judicial review filed the information commissioner, with the requester’s consent, under section 42 of the Access […]
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10 March 2015
Chinese Court Describes Judicial Transparency Efforts
China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) published a white paper March 10 lauding improvements on judicial transparency, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. “This is the first time the top court has reviewed the measures and effects of judicial reform on boosting transparency in the form of a white paper,” said SPC spokesman Sun Jungong […]
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6 March 2015
DFID Says Transparency, ATI Medium Corruption Solutions
A 110-page British government report evaluating the causes of corruption, and possible solutions, rates access to information as having “medium” value in fighting corruption, linked to one of two “large” impact factors — social accountability mechanisms. The summary section states: “Transparency and ATI emerge as important for the exercise of other rights, improving service delivery […]
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5 March 2015
Only Quarter of Indian Bodies Making Mandatory Disclosures
Only about one quarter of Indian public authorities are posting online information required to be made public under the Right to Information Act, according to the Central Information Commission annual report (text not yet posted on CIC website). Of the 2,276 public authorities, 667 are complying with the mandatory suo-motu (Latin for “on its own […]
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5 March 2015
Budget Approved for FOI Legislation for Philippines
The Philippines House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations on March 4 approved the budgetary provisions of the Freedom of Information bill, according to articles in the Philippines Star, the Manila Standard and GMA. The FOI bill now goes back to the House Committee on Public Information panel, which passed the bill in November, before being […]
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5 March 2015
FOI Notes: South Africa, OGP, Open Data, Much More
South Africa: See the report on the R2K 2015 National Summits online here. OGP: The Open Government Partnership issues its annual report. United States: See a comprehensive list of the events for the upcoming Sunshine Week. Debating Transparency: “Disclosure Can Produce Meaningful Change,” writes Chris Gates, the president of Sunlight Foundation is a US nonpartisan […]
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26 February 2015
Backlash Develops Over Release of Body Cam Footage
By Toby McIntosh and Lauren Harper Bills to restrict or prevent the public disclosure of videos taken by police officers wearing cameras are sparking debate in state legislatures around the United States. Anti-disclosure bills have been offered in half a dozen states, usually by legislators with law enforcement backgrounds. “Video recordings should not be subject […]
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26 February 2015
Jamaican Activist Urges Donor Push on Transparency
Foreign aid should be more directly tied to governments’ efforts to improve their transparency and donors should place more emphasis on greater grassroots involvement, according to Aylair Livingstone, a Jamaican transparency activist who presented an overview of access in the Caribbean at a World Bank webinar. Livingston summarized the freedom of information situation in the […]
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26 February 2015
FOI Notes: Country Reports, Open Data, US States, More
Canada: “Alberta Premier Jim Prentice has personally ordered that documents from all general freedom of information requests be publicly posted, despite serious concerns from the civil servants responsible for implementing the new policy, CBC News has learned.” according to a CBC report that highlights negative reactions to the move. Oregon: Incoming governor Kate Brown announces […]
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21 February 2015
OGP CSO Leaders Criticize Mexico Over FOI Legislation
In a highly unusual move, the civil society co-chairs on the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee have criticized the Mexican government, the overall OGP lead chairman, for proposing to undercut the Mexican freedom of information law. The Feb. 21 statement came after Mexican civil society groups blasted the Mexican government, but was a rare public […]
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19 February 2015
FOI Notes: Research, Country News, Tips, More
FOI Research: Gregory Michener has an article in Governance titled “How Cabinet Size and Legislative Control Shape the Strength of Transparency Laws.” Also see shorter version in Democratic Audit UK. Summary: When are governments likely to adopt strong transparency laws? Greg Michener says that too much of the existing research has tried to answer that […]
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17 February 2015
Pakistan Committee Unhappy With Progress on RTI Bill
A Pakistan Senate Committee Feb. 16 has expressed its displeasure with the lack of progress on Right to Information bill. “Delay in presenting such an important bill before the Cabinet for approval, is a grave constitutional violation which proves that it is not on priority list of the government despite the fact that the bill […]
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17 February 2015
Many Think Tanks Lack Transparency, Report Shows
More than two-thirds of think tanks worldwide do not disclose where their money comes from, according to a new report by Transparify. But the news is not uniformly negative. Over half of 35 U.S. think tanks are now broadly or highly transparent, according to the group based in the country of Georgia. Three got perfect […]