Posts Tagged ‘rti legislation’
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3 February 2012
Nigerian State of Ogun Will Pass FOI Law, AG Says
The Ogun state government in Nigeria intends to pass a freedom of information bill on Feb. 29, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Wemimo Ogunde said recently, according to media reports. Ogune made the disclosure Feb. 1 at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on FOI, according to an article in Daily Trust by […]
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3 February 2012
Sierra Leone President Again Supports FOI Bill
Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma Jan. 28 reiterated his support for freedom of information legislation on the occasion of the review of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Forum, Country Review Report of Sierra Leone at the 16th Summit of the Committee of participating Heads of State and Government of the APRM in Addis […]
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3 February 2012
President Aquino Submits Text of FOI Legislation
Philippines President Benigno Aquino Feb. 2 sent to Congress his administration’s long awaited version of the freedom of information bill. “Earlier today, we formally submitted to our coalition partners in the House of Representatives a substitute Freedom of Information Bill, which we believe addresses stakeholders’ desires to have more transparency and more access to information […]
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27 January 2012
Sierra Leone Portal No Substitute for FOI Law, Advocates Say
Promises by Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma to pass a freedom of information law have resulted in no action, so when he announced a Transparency Sierra Leone portal Jan. 24 and said it would lead to an “unprecedented level of openness,” FOI supporters reacted with annoyance. Executive Director of the Society for Democratic Initiative, […]
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27 January 2012
Kenyan Draft FOI Bill Subject to More Review
The Kenyan Constitutional Implementation Commission has asked for further modifications of a draft freedom of information law, according to an expert who attended the meeting. A few issues proved contentious and a technical committee was asked to seek further submissions from stakeholders and to make further recommendations. Below are the main provisions on which the […]
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13 January 2012
Debate Over UK FOI Act Reform Building
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice has indicated new entities to be covered by the Freedom of Information Act, one of many changes being contemplated as part of a major ongoing government review. The Campaign for Freedom of Information is gearing up its efforts to monitor and influence the review. A recent blog post by the […]
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13 January 2012
Dunion Makes Case for Scottish FOI Reforms
Outgoing Scottish Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion has urged reform of the 2002 Scottish freedom of information law, making his case in a report and warning that Scotland is in danger of falling behind other countries. Public awareness of FOI rights are at an all-time high, he said, but authorities are failing to deal with requests properly […]
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13 January 2012
June Passage of FOI Bill in Philippines Predicted
The version of freedom of information legislation supported by Philippines President Benigno Aquino is being called the People’s Ownership of Government Information bill, or POGI, which is Filipino slang for handsome, and supporters continue to be hopeful it will pass, although some have expressed concern that it is not officially on the list of bills […]
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6 January 2012
Ghana Parliament Questioned on Missing RTI Report
Amnesty International Ghana on Jan. 6 called on the Parliamentary Task Force on Right to Information to report, as promised, on public consultations about a long-pending RTI bill. Parliament held nationwide consultations on the bill last summer and was expected to prepare a report. “Amnesty International (and indeed the Coalition on the Right To Information) is […]
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6 January 2012
Aquino Urges Passage of Modified FOI Bill
President Benigno Aquino has approved his version of freedom of information legislation, altering it to drop a proposal for an information commission. The president’s recommendation for congressional approval was heralded as yet another sign of potential progress toward enactment. The elimination of a commission clause did not distress supporters because they expect that the alternative of […]
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6 January 2012
FOIA Notes: Video, UK, Brasil, US, India
Video: A two-minute animated video from The Access Initiative of the World Resources Initiative describes the potential value of participation in the decision-making about a new highway. United Kingdom: Martin Rosenbaum in a BBC report discusses efforts to the reform the UK law. He begins: “Freedom of information has been in force in the UK for […]
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6 January 2012
FOI Bill Tabled in Botswana by Saleshando
A freedom of information bill has been tabled in Botswana and sponsors hope it will be debated in Parliament soon, according to a Botswana Gazette report. Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central Dumelang Saleshando, the president of the minority Botswana Congress Party, introduced the measure in December. But Saleshando said the bill will be debated […]
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22 December 2011
FOI Bill Introduced in Botswana by Saleshando
A freedom of information bill has been tabled in Botswana, but will not be debated in Parliament until next year, according to a Botswana Gazette report. Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central Dumelang Saleshando introduced the measure. Saleshando, the president of the minority Botswana Congress Party, said the bill will only be debated only when […]
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19 December 2011
Scotland Considers FOI Reforms; Dunion Urges More
The Scottish government Dec. 16 proposed amendments “to strengthen and improve” the 10-year-old freedom of information law. Minister for Parliamentary Business Brian Adam said the proposals will “allow greater flexibility in reducing the lifespan of exemptions with a view to more information being made available earlier. It will also allow more time for the Information […]
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19 December 2011
Access to Information in Cyprus Poor, Study Finds
The official channels in Cyprus for releasing government information are weak and the public strongly favors improvements, according to the results of a recently completed study. The report was based on research, opinion surveys and consultations conducted by three nongovernmental organizations: Access Info Europe, Cyprus EU Association (KAB) and the Socio-political Studies Institute (IKME), as […]
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16 December 2011
Indonesia Pledges to Consult on Controversial Secrecy Bill
The Indonesia government plans to discuss a controversial state secrecy bill with its opponents, according to a report in The Jakarta Globe. Under the bill, the disclosure of classified material is punishable by prison terms of three-four years plus fines, depending on the level of classification. Critics say the definition of what constitutes a state […]
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15 December 2011
EU Parliament Approves Transparency Rule Changes
The European Parliament Dec. 15 voted 394-197, with 35 abstentions, to approve proposals to improve the EU’s access to documents rules. The 2-1 majority action advances the process to the stage of difficult negotiations with the EU Commission and EU Council. During debate Dec. 14, Maroš Šef?ovi?, the European commissioner for inter-institutional relations and administration, […]
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8 December 2011
Breakthrough Brightens Hopes for FOI in Philippines
The Aquino administration has produced a long-awaited proposal for a freedom of information bill in the Philippines which has been praised by pro-FOI advocates and appears likely to pass. The issuance of a draft law came after months during which President Benigno Aquino, who had appointed a study group of top officials in November 2010 […]
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28 November 2011
Second Malaysian State Approves FOI Legislation
The Malaysian state of Penang has approved a freedom of information bill, the second state in Malaysia to do so. Selangor passed a bill in April. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) The Penang Freedom of Information Enactment 2010 “seems to have incorporated some suggestions for improvement made by civil society groups consulted by the Select Committee,” […]
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25 November 2011
EU Parliament Committee Approves New Access Law
A committee of the European parliament Nov. 23 approved a proposal to improve access to European Union documents. The amendments from the Civil Liberties Committee will be put to a plenary vote in December, according to the committee’s announcement, which stated: The purpose of the amended version of Regulation 1049/2001 is to give the fullest […]