Posts Tagged ‘commissioners/ombudsmen’
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30 April 2015
FOI Notes: SE Asia, Media Freedom, US, Research, Art, Budget Transparency, More
Southeast Asia: Transparency International reports that “rampant corruption across Southeast Asia threatens to derail plans for greater economic integration,” and makes more transparency one of the necessary reforms. “Three key areas have presented themselves in ongoing consultations as both vital and underdeveloped in terms of transparency and citizen engagement in Southeast Asia: 1) whistleblower protection […]
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30 April 2015
IFAI Seeks Public Input on Participatory Governance
Mexico’s Federal Institute for Access to Information and Data Protection (IFAI) has called for advice on how the government can be not only more open, but more collaborative with citizens. IFAI’s mandate includes more than implementing the freedom of information law and extends to promoting citizen participation, according to the April 27 announcement (in Spanish). […]
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27 April 2015
Commissioners Concerned About Challenges to RTI
Thirty-five information commissioners from 25 countries, meeting April 21 in Santiago, Chile, “expressed concern” regarding “some important challenges” to the right to information. In particular, the commissioners identified: The continuing inequalities that limit the right to access information for all citizens, The deterioration of the right to access information because of the approval of legislation and public […]
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16 April 2015
Croatian CSO Files Appeal Against Denial of Information
A civil society organization in Croatia is appealing a court ruling that overturned the information commissioner’s order for the government to disclose its legal bills to defend two persons before the International Tribunal in the Hague. GONG, the CSO, is challenging the recent decision by the High Administrative Court, which ruled that the commissioner had […]
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2 April 2015
Slower Growth Rate Seen in Indian RTI Requests
The rate of growth in the number of Right to Information Act requests filed in India is slowing, according to the preliminary findings by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). “So the question to ask is whether RTI fatigue is setting in or will the numbers go up considerably if all public authorities were to report their […]
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1 April 2015
Canadian Commissioner Makes 85 Reform Proposals
The Canadian Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault has made 85 recommendations to bring the Access to Information Act up to international standards. Her report, Striking the Right Balance for Transparency: Recommendations to Modernize the Access to Information Act, was sent to Parliament, but observers were doubtful of the chances of passage with the current conservative government. Legault […]
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25 March 2015
Indian Group Criticizes CIC Selection Process
The National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) has complained about delays in the selection of a new chief information commissioner and the secrecy of the process. The post has been vacant for seven months since Aug. 22, 2014. Activists Aruna Roy, Anjali Bhardwaj, Nikhil Dey and the Former CIC Wajahat Habibullah addressed a […]
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25 March 2015
Bulgarian Group Proposes Ideas on Rewriting RTI Law
A new report by the Access to Information Programme (AIP) in Bulgaria proposes ways to handle five major implementation problems. Based on its “18 years of experience in the monitoring and advocacy for enhanced transparency and accountability of public bodies and more active exercise of the right to information,” AIP formulated recommendations for necessary legislative […]
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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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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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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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19 February 2015
Mexico: OGP Leader Faking Transparency
By Ana Cristina Ruelas The author is the Right to Information Program Officer at ARTICLE 19, México and Central America Mexico became the lead chairman of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) on 2014, although we are far from openness. The government’s rhetoric is all about transparency and co-creation but in their offices they are pushing us […]
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29 January 2015
FOI Notes: Transparency News in Brief
Resources: The Freedom of Information Advocates Network unveils a new website. Freedom House: Freedom in the World 2015 has ben posted with the main conclusion: More aggressive tactics by authoritarian regimes and an upsurge in terrorist attacks contributed to a disturbing decline in global freedom in 2014. Freedom in the World 2015 found an overall […]
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22 January 2015
NGO Recommends Reforming Bangladesh Exemptions
A nongovernmental organization in Bangladesh has recommended reforming the exemption section in the 2009 Right to Information Act. The Management and Resource Development Initiative (MRDI) said section 7 of the RTI law should be changed to make it more favorable for the public. MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman presented the recommendations to Chief Information Commissioner Mohammed […]
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15 January 2015
India May Permit Stamps to Be Used for RTI Payments
The Indian Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has invited comment on the idea of letting requesters use postage stamps to pay for the costs of seeking information under the Right to Information Act. The department which administers the act also has set up a committee to discuss the proposal. Comments are due by Feb. […]
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15 January 2015
Indian Panel Moving to Select Next Chief Commissioner
The Indian government is moving to choose a new Central Chief Information Commissioner, a post vacant for almost five months. A search committee created by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) has received more than 200 responses to an advertisement. All seven serving information commissioners have applied, as have many current and former high-level […]
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8 January 2015
Indian Commission Considers Penalties in Political Case
The Indian Central Information Commission has taken a preliminary step to deal with six political parties refusing to obey its order to comply with the right to information law, and a bigger decision is pending. The CIC on Jan. 4 told the Urban Development Ministry to make public all records of land and bungalows allotted […]
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8 January 2015
Indian RTI Applicant Arrested For Not Standing at Hearing
An information commissioner in the Indian state of Tamil Nado had RTI activist Siva Elango arrested after he refused to stand while appearing at a commission hearing. Elango was appealing a decision when chief information commissioner K.S. Sripathi insisted that he stand when replying to his questions. Elango replied that there was no rule preventing […]
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8 January 2015
EU Ombudsman Seeks More Trade Talk Transparency
The European Commission on Jan. 7 issued more documents concerning the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations with the United States, a move welcomed by the European Ombudsman, who said even more should be disclosed. Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly issued an extensive report that includes numerous recommendations for the Commission, challenging the EC not to […]
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7 January 2015
Meeting of Commissioners Set for April 21-23 in Chile
The ninth international meeting of information commissioners will be held April 21-23 in Chile. A preliminary program shows that there will be two days of speeches and panel discussions followed by a day for private meetings of national information commissioners. The conference will take place in Universidad Católica de Chile, in Santiago. Attendance is open […]