Posts Tagged ‘rti legislation’
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23 November 2012
Clock Runs Out on Effort to Pass FOI Law in Argentina
Efforts to pass a freedom of information law in Argentina will need to begin from the beginning. The time limit for action by the House passed without action, leaving the 2010 Senate-passed bill in limbo. The Senate legislation was forwarded to several committees (called commissions) – the Constitutional Affairs Commission, the Justice Commission and the […]
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16 November 2012
Evardone Pledges to Meet Again on Philippines FOI Bill
The Philippines’ House committee chairman who has delayed action on freedom of information legislation is promising it will be the only topic for a Nov. 27 meeting. Rep. Ben Evardone Nov. 16 said the FOI bill “will be our only agenda” when the committee meets, according to a text message reported on by the Inquirer. […]
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16 November 2012
Zimbabwe Considers Flawed RTI Constitutional Clause
A proposed constitutional provision on right to information would be too restrictive, according to RTI experts following the process. In particular, the latest draft would guarantee access to information held by a public body only when necessary for the exercise of other citizen rights. Such requirement would require a requester to justify the intended use, […]
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13 November 2012
Delay May Doom FOI Bill in Philippines House, Again
A committee of the Philippines House Nov. 13 failed to pass the much-delayed freedom of information bill prompting supporters to declare the bill not only dead, but “murdered.” Committee Chairman Ben Evardone forced the adjournment of the inconclusive meeting with a procedural move, thwarting Representatives supporting the bill, who had demanded a final vote, according […]
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9 November 2012
House Meeting May Decide Fate of FOI Bill in Philippines
Tuesday, Nov. 13, is looming as a potentially big day for freedom of information legislation in the Philippines. A House committee, after much delay, is scheduled consider the bill on that day. A leading supporter on the House said he is “optimistic” it will pass “as long as the chairman has the courage to support […]
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2 November 2012
Ghana Parliament Adjourns Without Passing FOI Law
Ghana recently held public meetings on its overdue national action plan as a member of the Open Government Partnership and is nearing creation of an open data portal, but parliament just adjourned without fulfilling the promise of the ruling party to pass a right to information law. The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ghana’s new president and […]
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29 October 2012
Zambian Activist Still Optimistic About Legislation
A leading activist for freedom of information in Zambia has said he remains optimistic that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government will propose a promised FOI bill. Media Institute of Southern Africa (Zambia) Chapter acting chairperson Nalumino Nalumino made his comment in an interview Oct. 26 with the Times of Zambia. Nalumino was speaking during the […]
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25 October 2012
Maldives Official Signals RTI Bill May Move This Year
The Speaker of the Parliament in the Maldives said Oct. 22 that a right to information bill could pass out of a committee by the end of this year, according to several news reports. Speaker Abdulla Shahid make his comment at the conclusion of a one-day conference on access to information sponsored by Transparency Maldives. […]
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19 October 2012
UK AG Blocks Release of Prince Charles Letters
The United Kingdom Attorney General has blocked the release of 27 letters sent by Prince Charles to seven government departments. A court ruled last month that the letters were “advocacy correspondence” and should be disclosed. Disagreeing, AG Dominic Grieve wrote that the letters were part of the prince’s “preparations for kingship.” Grieve also said, “The […]
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12 October 2012
Philippines House Delays Timing for FOI Legislation
The schedule for considering freedom of information in the Philippines House of Representatives has slipped again, prompted new fears that it will not be passed this year. Nov. 13 has been set as the date for a House committee meeting, after earlier promises of action in mid-October disappeared. FOI proponent Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada […]
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8 October 2012
The Fight For Information In Italy
By Alessia Cerantola This article was published Sept. 27, 2012, by the European Journalism Centre. In many countries, access to public information is guaranteed by law. Often at the constitutional level. Not in Italy. Two-year Waiting Period When Focus magazine decided to release a special issue on the quality of Italian hospitals, its journalists knew […]
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5 October 2012
ATI Legislation Shows Signs of Life in Lebanon
Access to information legislation for Lebanon seems to getting more attention in the parliament and the bill’s advocates are scheduled to meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri Oct. 8. Debate on ATI was held Oct. 3 in Parliament, according to an article in The Daily Star. An agreement was reached that a subcommittee will be […]
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5 October 2012
Plans Made to Promote FOI in Francophone African Nations
Transparency activists have laid plans for advancing freedom of information in five francophone countries of West Africa — Guinea, Niger, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire and Senegal. In Guinea, where the law is passed but not yet operational, plans were made to press for “speedy publication,” along with efforts to build capacity to use it. For Niger, the top […]
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5 October 2012
Mozambican Groups Urge Parliament to Take Up RTI
Mozambican civil society organizations have again asked parliament to debate on a freedom of information bill. The Mozambican chapter the Media Institute of Southern Africa and other groups sent a letter to Assembly chairperson Veroniva Macamo saying a FOI act “will allow the state to bring the voice of the people into development processes, opening […]
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27 September 2012
Three Media Groups Urge Malaysia to Pass FOI law
Media groups in Malaysia have called on the government to pass a right to informaiton law, according to an article in Free Malaysia Today. “We are writing to ask the Federal Barisan Nasional coalition to make an election commitment, in the upcoming general elections, to adopt right to information legislation as soon as possible,” according to […]
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27 September 2012
Additions Continue to FOI Family, Pace Slows
Two countries passed freedom of information laws in the year since the last Right to Know Day – Brazil and Yemen. This represents a lessened pace from the exceptionally high number of bills approved in previous years — in six countries and Jersey. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) In about half a dozen countries, however, FOI […]
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20 September 2012
Italian FOI Activists Hold Event to Push Legislation
Italian supporters celebrated Sept. 19 as Italy’s “Day of Transparency” seeking to build support for national freedom of information legislation. “A group of associations and prominent individuals started a campaign last spring to demand the introduction of a law that allows citizens to have access to documentation from the public administration,” according to the organizers […]
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7 September 2012
Demons Seen in Philippines; Fears of Conspiracy Voiced
To my fellow Representatives: Let us not create demons in our own minds as we have full control of the final language of the law. That’s a Sept. 4 tweet from the Philippines’ House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, a frustrated proponent of the still-stalled freedom of information bill. Meanwhile, the House Majority Leader […]
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27 August 2012
Prospects Brighten for ATI Legislation in Namibia
Namibian government officials are giving favorable signals about access to information legislation and civil society is organizing to push for it, according to recent reports and information provided to FreedomInfo.org. At a recent two-day conference the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Joel Kaapanda, addressed ATI in a speech read on his behalf by the […]
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27 August 2012
No Action on Sierra Leone FOI Bill as Elections Approach
The Sierra Leone freedom of information bill remains in limbo despite promises of action in May, prompting an international organization of journalists to urge its approval by parliament. The situation is described in a recent blog post in Young African Voices which highlights the recent observation by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Communications, Alhaji I.B. […]