What’s New
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7 June 2013
Report Criticizes Proposed FOI Amendments for Bosnia
Proposed amendments to the Law on Freedom of Access to Information of Bosnia and Herzegovina would exclude large volumes of information from the right of access to information, according to the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. “The poorly drafted and ill-considered amendments […]
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7 June 2013
AP Says U.S. Officials Using Private Email Accounts
U.S. officials are using private emails accounts to conduct government business and agencies are refusing to disclose the email addresses, according to a May 4 report by Jack Gillum of the Associated Press. The AP story said the practice ”complicates agencies’ legal responsibilities to find and turn over emails under public records requests and congressional inquiries.” “The scope of using the secret accounts across government remains a mystery,” the […]
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7 June 2013
Ghana Cabinet Forwards RTI Legislation to Parliament
Ghana’s cabinet has approved a right to information bill and sent it to parliament, where previous bills supported by several former presidents have died in recent years. President John Mahama has said he will sign a bill and a top minister said the president “places a premium on the expeditious passage of the bill.” The Cabinet action […]
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7 June 2013
Ukrainian Groups Appeal for Amendments to Access Law
Ukrainian nongovernmental organizations are campaigning for the Ukrainian Parliament to adopt a bill that would allow for the improved enforcement of the 2012 access to information law. The groups are urging the approval of Draft Law No. 0947 before summer recess. The draft law, pending since May 2012, includes amendments in more than 55 legislative acts and […]
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7 June 2013
Connecticut Bars Disclosing Photos of Homicide Victims
Photographs of homicide victims will not be disclosable in the U.S. state of Connecticut under a new law. Written in the wake of the shootings of 26 persons in December 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the legislation (Senate Bill No. 1149) was passed overwhelmingly June 5 and signed by the governor June 6. Originally limited […]
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7 June 2013
Group Urges UNCAC to Prioritize FOI Laws
Access Info Europe May 29 said the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) needs to make access to information a higher priority. “The right of access to information is a key tool for the prevention of corruption, yet there is no mention of it in the work plan of the UNCAC’s Working Group on Corruption […]
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6 June 2013
Danish Parliament Adopts Controversial FOI Changes
The Danish parliament May 4 approved controversial changes to its public information law that will reduce the availability of documents prepared during the development of new policies and legislation. The law will exempt disclosure of correspondence between ministries and the civil service if a minister is requesting advice. Ministers’ calendars also are made exempt. Passage […]
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3 June 2013
Indian CIC Says Political Parties Covered by RTI Law
India’s Central Information Commission June 3 ruled that political parties are covered by the Right to Information law. The Commission in a 54-page decision said the six national parties receive substantial indirect funding from the central government and perform public functions, thus making them public authorities under the law. Unless overturned by a court, the […]
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31 May 2013
Nigerian Judiciary Supporting New FOI Law, Group Reports
Court rulings in Nigeria are consistently upholding the two-year-old freedom of information law, according to a Nigerian watchdog group. Media Rights Agenda praised the judiciary, saying that most rulings have counteracted refusal to disclose information by public institutions. The May 28 press release cited a number of specific examples. MRA’s Deputy Executive Director Jennifer Onyejekwe […]
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31 May 2013
UN Panel Includes RTI, Better Data as Development Goals
A high-level panel charged by the United Nations with drafting a post-2015 development agenda has included the better use of data and right to information in its report. Under Goal 10, “Ensure Good Governance and Effective Institutions,” it proposes the objective: “Guarantee the public’s right to information and access to government data.” RTI is listed […]
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31 May 2013
Russian House Adopts Criticized Open Data Bill
The lower house of the Russian parliament has adopted amendments to require the publication of information on the websites of governments in open data formats. The Duma, however, did not revise the bill to take into account a number of proposals to improve the FZ-8 submitted by the Freedom of Information Foundation. “As is seen, […]
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31 May 2013
EITI Adds Contracts, Licenses to Required Disclosure List
A higher standard of performance has been issued by the Extractive Industries Initiative, which held its annual meeting in Sydney, Australia, May 24-26. Member countries will now need to release information about production volumes and mining licenses on a project-by-project basis. EITI countries will have to maintain a public register that lists the company name, […]
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31 May 2013
FOI Notes: Directory of Transparency Activists Started, OGP Newsletter, U.S., Open Data, More
Transparency Activist Directory: The U.S. Sunlight Foundation announced in a blog post that it has begun to create “a repository of civil society organizations working around transparency and open data issues from all around the world.” The group invited additions to its draft spreadsheet with more than 500 entries, not editable – available here. Submissions should […]
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29 May 2013
Kenyan Officials Say Lack of FOI Hampers Open Data
The lack of a freedom of information law in Kenya is stymieing efforts to post more government data online, according to two top officials, quoted in an article in the Daily Nation and another in Africa Review “The fact that the Freedom of Information Act is yet to go through Parliament is a major bottleneck because […]
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23 May 2013
What Happened With Transparency Legislation Reform in Mexico?
By Guillermo Ávila Ávila is a researcher at Fundar, Center of Analysis and Research. As perhaps you already know, one of the main proposals of the Mexican president, Enrique Peña Nieto, during the presidential campaign was a very deep and comprehensive reform to foster the transparency policy in Mexico. He actually presented a bill, through […]
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23 May 2013
Campaign for FOI Relaunched at Sierra Leone Conference
Sierra Leone Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Theo Nicol said May 13 that the political will exists to ensure a freedom of information bill is passed this time around and that the president will sign it. His remarks came at conference at which supporters of legislation relaunched a campaign for a FOI law. Efforts […]
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23 May 2013
Israeli Justice Minister Backs Reform, Lower Fees
Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni May 21 advocated transparency for the ministerial committee for legislative affairs and says she plans to lower fees for freedom of information requesters, according to an article in the Jerusalem Post Commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Law on Freedom of Information, Livni called it “an instrument for repairing. It is […]
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23 May 2013
FOI Notes: New Book on African ATI; Open Data; UK
Africa: The ATI committee of the African Network of Constitutional Lawyers has a new publication: “Access to information in Africa. Law, Culture and Practice,” edited by Fatima Diallo, African Studies Centre, Leiden, and Richard Calland, University of Cape Town. Published by BRILL. The chapters and authors are: 1. The State of the Art and the […]
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22 May 2013
Australia to Join OGP; Membership Up to 59
Australia May 22 announced its intention to join the Open Government Partnership, bringing membership to 59. In the recent days, the total dropped to 57 with Russia’s resignation (See previous FreedomInfo.org report) and then went up to 58 with Ireland’s decision to join (See previous FreedomInfo.org report). Australia’s decision was announced by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, […]
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20 May 2013
Ireland Plans to Join Open Government Partnership
Ireland May 20 announced its intention to join the Open Government Partnership. Irish membership will bring the OGP family back to 58, following the recent decision by Russia to drop out. (See related FreedomInfo.org report.) The government’s statement quotes Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin as saying, “OGP participation will provide further momentum to […]