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The Constitution provides for a right of access to government records.(1) Article 74 states "Every person has a right to access to public documents except in cases established by law." Article 15 provides a right of "habeas data" that allows individuals to access information about themselves held by public and private bodies. Article 78 regulates consumer product information, and Article 112 allows political parties the right of "access to official information and documentation". Article 23 provides for the mechanism to demand information, "Every person has the right to present petitions to the authorities for the general or private interest and to secure their prompt resolution."

The Constitutional Court has ruled in numerous cases on the fundamental right of information as an essential part of democracy.(2) The Court has also ruled in over 110 cases relating to habeas data since 1992.(3)

Colombia has a long history of freedom of information legislation. In 1888, the Code of Political and Municipal Organization allowed individuals to request documents held in government agencies and archives, unless release of these documents was specifically forbidden by another law.(4)

The Law Ordering the Publicity of Official Acts and Documents was adopted in 1985.(5) This law allows any person to examine the actual documents held by public agencies and to obtain copies, unless these documents are protected by the Constitution, another law, or for national defense or security considerations. Information requests must be processed in 10 days.

If a document request is denied, appeals can be made to an Administrative Tribunal.

The law also requires the publication of acts and rules. The Constitutional Court ruled in December 1999 that under the 1985 Act and a 1998 amendment, legislative acts would only be in force against individuals once they were published.(6)

The law seems little used. Access to information is more common under the constitutional right of Habeas Data than under the 1985 law. There are longstanding problems with implementation and enforcement.(7) A project of law to adopt a stronger law was introduced in 2004 and is current pending in the Congress.(8)

Under the General Law of Public Archives, after 30 years, all documents become public records except for those that contain confidential information or relate to national security.(9)

2004 freedominfo.org Global Survey Results - Colombia

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Notes

1. Constitution of Colombia, 1991, revised 2001. http://www.georgetown.edu/pdba/Constitutions/Colombia/col91.html

2. See Sentencia C-641/02, Sentencia T-216/04;Sentencia T-053/96.

3. See EPIC and Privacy International, Privacy and Human Rights 2004: Colombia. http://www.privacyinternational.org/survey/

4. Alberto Donadio, Freedom of Information in Colombia, Access Reports, 16 February 1994.

5. Ley 57 de 1985 (Julio 5) Por la cual se ordena la publicidad de los actos y documentos oficiales. http://www.privacyinternational.org/countries/colombia/ley57-foi.doc

6. C-957, 1 December 1999.

7. Donadio, Id.

8. Proyecto de Ley 154 de 2004 Senado por medio de la cual se reglamenta el derecho a la Información. http://www.alfa-redi.org/privacidad/legislacion.shtml?x=5266

9. Ley 594 de 2000 (julio 14) por medio de la cual se dicta la Ley General de Archivos y se dictan otras disposiciones.

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