What’s New
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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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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
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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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 […]
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19 May 2014
Puente Elected to Head Expanded IFAI in Mexico
Ximena de la Puente Mora has been unanimously elected by the other six commissioners as the president of the Federal Institute for Access to Information and Data Protection (IFAI). She was elected for a three year term at the first meeting of the expanded commission, whose members were recently selected by the Senate. The wholesale […]
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19 May 2014
Access Info Europe Finds Delays in Council Responses
The Council of the European Union responds to information requests in an average of 20 working days, above the 15 days under law, according to a study issued May 19 by Access Info Europe The Council also is applying too many extensions to requests and not informing all requesters of their right to appeal when […]
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19 May 2014
Pakistan Committee Backs RTI Information Commission
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has recommended creation of an independent federal information commission and legal protection for whistleblowers. A committee recently finalized its recommendations on the draft Right to Information bill which has been proposed by the ministry, according to Dawn and the Daily Times. The committee also proposed amendments […]
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16 May 2014
Australian Government Seeks to Close Information Office
The four-year-old Office of Australian Information Commissioner would be abolished Jan. 1, 2015, under a plan put forward by the Abbott government. The changes would save $10.2 million over four years, according to the proposal, described in The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald and the Open and Shut blog. Information commissioner John McMillan, privacy commissioner […]
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16 May 2014
Philippines FOI Supporters Start Petition Campaign
Signatures are being collected in support of freedom of information legislation in the Philippines. The drive was kicked off by the Right to Know Right Now! Network and other groups. The campaign may be accessed by logging on to www.change.org/tayonaparasafoi or by clicking here. The Senate has passed a bill, but a House committee assigned it […]
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16 May 2014
OGP Steering Committee OKs Civic Space Plan “in Principle”
The Open Government Partnership Steering Committee May 5 agreed “in principle” to procedures that could lead to the expulsion of member governments whose actions undermine the values and principles of OGP. The OGP leaders deferred adoption, however, pending refinement of the language, according to persons who attended the meeting and spoke not for attribution with […]
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16 May 2014
FOI Notes: RTI Movie in India, and some other stuff
RTI the Movie: A movie, Angusam, with an RTI theme by a director using one name, Manukannan, has come out in India. One review says that “the seriousness of the issue gets diluted, what with the narration being jumpy and inconsistent, and the screenplay layered with romance, songs and sentiment.” A plot description says: Shiva […]
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16 May 2014
Report Backs RTI Exemption for India’s National Banks
The “fragile” condition of India’s public sector banks requires urgent action, according to a new report, including an exemption from the right to information act. The 90-page report by a high-level committee includes numerous recommendations, such as lowering of the government’s holding in the several dozen banks to below 50 percent. The banks face a […]
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16 May 2014
EU Ombudsman Continues Pressing Transparency Issues
European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has raised transparency concerns in two areas, announcing an investigation May 14 into the composition and transparency of the Commission’s expert groups, and asking on May 16 about clinical trial data transparency. On expert groups, she asked interested persons and organizations for feedback “on how balanced the representation of relevant areas […]
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16 May 2014
President Obama Signs Spending Transparency Bill
President Barack Obama on May 9 signed legislation aimed at standardizing and publishing the federal government’s spending data. The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, known as the DATA Act (S. 994) would require the Treasury secretary and the director of the Office of Management and Budget to establish government-wide financial data standards. (See previous FreedomInfo.org […]