Posts Tagged ‘rti legislation’
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20 June 2012
Yemen FOI Bill Finalized With Six Presidential Amendments
Yemen on June 20 finalized its freedom of information law with some last-minute alterations, according to sources familiar with the development. Final approval was cemented by Parliament’s acceptance of changes to the law recommended by the president. The six amendments offered by Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi were considered acceptable by the bill’s supporters, according […]
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19 June 2012
Ghana Majority Leader Reiterates RTI Bill Promise
Cletus Avoka, Majority Leader in the Ghana Parliament, said June 18 that he hopes a right to information bill will be passed in July. “We have completed our deliberations on the Bill. We hope that between July 1- July 27, we would be able to lay the Bill before the President for his final approval […]
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18 June 2012
Dutch Green Party Proposes Revised FOI Law
By Roger Vleugels The Dutch Green Party on June 4, 2012, issued a draft for a new Dutch Freedom of Information Act. This description is by Roger Vleugels, a lecturer, legal adviser, publisher, and an advisor to the Green Party. The problem: the Old Wob The current Dutch Wob: Wet openbaarheid van bestuur, the Dutch […]
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18 June 2012
Botswana Chiefs Endorse MISA-Backed FOI Legislation
The Botswana House of Chiefs, a group of traditional leaders who play an advisory role to parliament, have endorsed proposed freedom of information legislation. The backing from the House of Chiefs, according to country activists and local media, came following a May 13 presentation about the bill by the Media Institute of South Africa-Botswana Chapter. […]
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15 June 2012
Top Islamic Leader Supports RTI Law in Ghana
The leading Islamic figure in Ghana has called for passage of a right to information law. “The National Chief Imam, His Eminence Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has added his voice to calls on Parliament to hasten the passage of the Right to Information Bill (RTI) as it has the potential of entrenching democracy, transparency […]
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15 June 2012
Hamburg Supplements FOI Law With Disclosure Mandate
The state parliament of Hamburg in Germany has passed legislation to create a central information register. The June 13 action was described in English according on the Transparenz Schafft Vertrauen website, which said the law will make Hamburg “the most transparent state in Germany” when it goes into effect. The planned register will be a repository for all […]
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11 June 2012
EU Member States Reject Transparency Proposals
By Staffan Dahllöf This report appeared in Wobbing EU on June 10. An update of a negotiating mandate dated June 4 failed to get backing from Member States’ representatives on a working party meeting between national experts four days later. The presidency had suggested amendments that in some respects would be a move in the direction […]
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8 June 2012
FOI Bill in Sierra Leone Assigned to Committee
The Sierra Leone Minister of Information and Communication June 7 submitted freedom of information legislation to Parliament where it was again sent to the Legislative Committee for scrutiny. FOI legislation has languished in the Legislative Committee in the past, and the initial debate on the bill indicated that some parliamentarians are strongly opposed to it, […]
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8 June 2012
Philippines House Chairman Forsees Action in July
The chairman of the committee in the Philippines House that will handle the freedom of information bill said June 5 that he will be trying to come up with an “acceptable formula.” Rep. Ben Evardone, public information committee chairman, was quoted in an article by Jess Diaz in The Philippine Star and by GMA. “I’m […]
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8 June 2012
South African Security Agency Testifies on Secrecy Bill
The South African Department of State Security (DSS) on June 6 objected to including a public interest defense in the secrecy bill being considered by the Ad Hoc Committee on Protection of State Information Bill (NCOP), according to a detailed summary and minutes by the Parliamentary Monitoring Group and media accounts. The DSS expressed concern that the […]
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8 June 2012
Scottish FOI Amendments Criticized as Too Narrow
The Scottish government has proposed freedom of information law amendments that FOI activists say fall short. Carole Ewart, co-convener of Campaign for Freedom of Information Scotland, wrote in reaction that it is “what isn’t in the bill that is the problem” and called it “a wasted opportunity.” She said more quasi-governmental bodies need to be […]
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3 June 2012
Strong Senate Supports Bolsters Hope in Philippines
Despite near unanimous support for a freedom of information bill in the Philippines Senate, the bill’s prospects remain uncertain in the House. Twenty-two out of 23 senators have endorsed the committee report on a FOI bill by Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Information. Honasan was expected to formally […]
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1 June 2012
To Stop Corruption: Egypt Needs a Freedom of Information Law
By Mark Salah Morgan and Sahar Aziz Morgan is Counsel at Day Pitney LLP and Aziz is Associate Professor of Law, Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Both are members of the Egyptian American Rule of Law Association, a nonprofit organization committed to promoting rule of law through access to information. EARLA published “Freedom of Information […]
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31 May 2012
Spain Publishes Text of Latest Access Law Proposal
The Spanish government has posted the latest version (in Spanish) of a proposed transparency law. Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría on May 18 announced that the Cabinet had advanced the draft bill to the next stage of review. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) The text, however, was not immediately published. (See previous FreedomInfo.org […]
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31 May 2012
Ghana Coalition Submits Options Paper on RTI Bill
The Ghana Right to Information Coalition has presented an options paper to the Parliament detailing improvements it says should be made to long-pending RTI bill. The bill is before the parliamentary Select Joint Committees on Communications and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. The Joint Committees held public consultations on the bill between July and August […]
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25 May 2012
Progress Slow on Drafting FOI Legislation in Kenya
Kenya’s Constitutional Implementation Commission is continuing to draft a freedom of information bill and a data protection bill, but the process is taking longer than expected. “Too long, “ observed one person close to the process in a note to FreedomInfo.org. Once approved by the commission, the bills must be approved by the Cabinet and […]
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25 May 2012
Ghana Coalition Challenges Avoka, Submits Comments
The Coalition on Right to Information May 22 countered allegations that it is delaying progress on right to information legislation. Nana Oye Lithur, speaking for the Coalition on RTI, said at a press conference in Accra that the coalition has engaged in many efforts to educate the public and members of parliament and to assist […]
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24 May 2012
Draft Spanish Access Law Remains Inaccessible
The draft access to information law for Spain has not been released yet, prompting complaints. Changes have been made to the version put out for public comment in March, and observers are eager to see the latest iteration. Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría on May 18 announced that the Cabinet had advanced […]
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21 May 2012
Debate Accelerates on EC Council Access Proposal
By Staffan Dahllöf Dahllöf wrote this article that appeared May 21 in the blog Wobbing EU. Backed by a majority of member states, the European Union presidency will now engage in informal discussions with the Parliament on new rules for access to EU documents. The proposal said to enhance transparency, is not to be seen by the […]
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18 May 2012
Spanish Cabinet Forwards Controversial FOI Bill
The Spanish Cabinet May 18 decided to take another step in the process of developing a freedom of information law. The Cabinet agreed to send the draft legislation to the data protection agency, an independent body, and to the State Council, a body within the government that advises on legal and constitutional matters. It is expected that the Cabinet will revisit the […]