Posts Tagged ‘rti amendments’
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14 June 2013
Altered Hungarian Bill Still Draws Objections
The Hungarian parliament June 11 made slight modifications to previously rejected legislation revising the freedom of information law, but critics still are raising objections. In particular, the amendment will allow public agencies too much latitude in to reject FOI claims deemed excessive, said Fanny Hidvégi, FOI and data protection director for the Hungarian Civil Liberties […]
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14 June 2013
Consortium in Jordan Plans to Push RTI Amendments
A national consortium has been formed in Jordan to push for revisions to the access to information law. The Jordan Transparency Center, the organizer of the effort, reports that 27 civil society organizations and 23 activists from law and media firms are participating. The allies recently discussed amendments proposed by the government to the parliament […]
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14 June 2013
Pakistan Subcommittee OKs Draft RTI Legislation
A subcommittee of Pakistan’s Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting June 13 approved a draft Right to Information (RTI) Act 2013, The three-person committee rejected a last-minute request to delay from the Ministry of Defense, with one senator saying the ministry had been “contemptuous.” The Information Ministry has agreed to update the proposal in light […]
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14 June 2013
Cayman Islands Freedom of Information Review Was Private
By Brent Fuller The following article published June 13 is reprinted with permission from the Cayman Compass. A related report in FreedomInfo.org describes legislative action on proposed FOI amendments. A Caymanian Compass news story from December 2010 that caused considerable uproar among lawmakers and which led to calls for the newspaper to face criminal prosecution was apparently […]
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14 June 2013
Cayman Committee Backs Anonymity, Free Requests
A Cayman Islands legislative subcommittee has recommended continuing to allow anonymous requests and free processing, according to an article by Brent Fuller in the Cayman Compass. These and other recommendations have subsequently been approved by a committee of the entire Legislative Assembly in preparation for a vote by the full body. The government’s Freedom of Information […]
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10 June 2013
Scottish Minister Offers Extension of FOI Law
The Scottish government has proposed that the freedom of information law should cover cultural, sports and leisure services set up by local authorities. The Scottish Liberal Democrats called the move “too timid” and Information Commissioner Rosemary Agnew suggested a broader approach. Debate about covering private organizations that perform functions for the government has been at […]
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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
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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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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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
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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17 May 2013
UK Group Campaigns Against Proposed FOI Legislation
The Campaign for Freedom of Information has detailed its objections to proposed changes to the British freedom of information law and launched a drive to get support from members of Parliament. The criticisms are summarized in an eight-page letter signed by Maurice Frankel, CFOI’s Director. The letter says the proposed changes would make it easier […]
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17 May 2013
Protest Held in Denmark Over Controversial Amendments
Several thousand persons demonstrated in Christiansborg, Denmark, against the proposed freedom of information law amendments, and two international journalism groups voiced their opposition. “The crowd was treated to rousing speeches and several musical performances in yesterday’s warm afternoon sun,” according to a Copenhagen Post article. One speaker was Anders Højsted, a Radikale board member from […]
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10 May 2013
Hungarian President Sends FOI Bill Back to Parliament
Hungarian President Janos Áder has told Parliament to reconsider a controversial law diminishing the access to information law, though some critics would have preferred that he had referred it to the constitutional court for review. Parliament hastily approved a bill April 30 sponsored by the ruling Fidesz party, generated considerable objection from pro-transparency groups. (See […]
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10 May 2013
Critics Fault Guidelines for Proactive Disclosure in India
The Indian government’s recent guidelines on proactive disclosure are diluted, right to information activists said May 7. Members of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) including Anjali Bhardwaj, Nikhil Dey and Venkatesh Nayak said that the government had overlooked other recommendations from the government-sponsored task force that studied the issue. Not included were […]
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3 May 2013
Hungary Restricts FOI Law; OGP Membership Questioned
The Hungarian Parliament has adopted restrictive amendments to its freedom of information law that are being criticized by pro-transparency activists. The main change would allow the government to reject “excessive” requests for information, a standard critics called too vague. In addition, the changes appear to make the FOI law not applicable when disclosure policies are included […]
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26 April 2013
South African Assembly OKs Protection of Information Bill
South Africa’s National Assembly April 25 approved a modified, but still contentious, Protection of State Information Bill. The bill, three years in the making, passed on a vote of 189-74, with one abstention. Opponents have long indicated that they will test its constitutionality in court and reiterated their intention to do so. “The fight is […]
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25 April 2013
U.S. Cybersecurity Bill Includes FOI Exemption
Legislation recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), would provide companies liability protection for companies sharing cyberthreat information with the federal government. It also would exempt all such shared information from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The bill is being criticized largely for allowing […]
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24 April 2013
Danish RTI Amendments Get Poor Review From Raters
Denmark’s proposed changes to its right to information law are regressive and will not fix “major problems” in the current system, according to one of two organizations that produce the major international rating of RTI laws. In particular, modifying certain exceptions would weaken the Danish law, according to an analysis by the Centre for Law […]