Posts Tagged ‘rti legislation’
-
14 January 2011
Argentine’s Access to Information Law: A Tale of Two Chambers
By Natalia Torres Senior Researcher, Center for Studies of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information In 2003, the Argentinean House of Representative endorsed a bill on access to information law. In accordance with our bicameral system, the bill was sent to the Senate for revision. During this revision process, the Senate committees modified the […]
-
7 January 2011
President of El Salvador Returns Access Bill
The president of El Salvador has returned to the Legislative Assembly an access to information bill passed in early December (See previous Freedominfo.org report). President Mauricio Funes made seven points about the bill in his Jan. 5 return message seeking changes in the bill (His message in Spanish). Among other things, he suggested clarification concerning […]
-
7 January 2011
UK Government Proposes to Broaden Scope of FOI Law
The British government Jan. 7 proposed reforms to the United Kingdom freedom of information law that would extend its scope to more organizations and hasten the release of archived material. The proposed amendments also would enhance the independence of the Information Commissioner’s Office. Added protection would be given to information relating to the Royal Family, […]
-
31 December 2010
Critics Score Proposed New Rules for Indian RTI Act
Critics are weighing in against proposed amendments to the rules for the Information Right to Information Act that among other things would set a 250 word limit for each request and to raise fees. These and other proposals have draw fire from many RTI activists and recently from the Working Group on Transparency, Accountability and […]
-
30 December 2010
Cambodia Opposition Party Proposes FOI Legislation
The opposition party in Cambodia has proposed freedom of information legislation, but is pessimistic about its chances, according to an article from the Phnom Penh Post. The Sam Rainsy Party Dec. 23 sent a draft FOI law to the National Assembly for consideration. SRP lawmaker Son Chhay said the law would require officials to make […]
-
17 December 2010
Spat Over Royal Family, FOI Reported in UK Newspaper
The Liberal Democratic party in the United Kingdom, which made improving the freedom of information law a condition of participation in the government with the Conservative Party, is upset over proposals to limit the law’s coverage of the royal family, according to a report in the Daily Mail. The newspaper reports that after lobbying from […]
-
10 December 2010
Nigerian Senate President Says No 2010 Action on FOI
The Senate President of Nigeria, David Mark, has ruled out action this year on freedom of information legislation. Speaking to the Nigerian Union of Journalists, who gave him an award as the Most Outstanding Speaker of the Decade, Mark linked passage of the bill with the creation of a board to oversee the activities […]
-
10 December 2010
Ghana Media Commission Urges Passage of Access Bill
Ghana’s National Media Commission has called for approval of the Right to Information Bill, the Broadcasting Bill and the Defamation Bill. “Of these, it has been the Right to Information Bill that has received, and for good reasons too, the greatest publicity,” the commission noted, saying that “it is taking far too long to pass […]
-
8 December 2010
Awareness of Kyrgyzstan Access Law Low, Study Finds
Kyrgyzstan’s population does not demand information from public officials and many weakness exist in the implementation of the access law, according to a recent report. The findings and a series of recommendations are contained in a four-country study sponsored by the Open Society Institute in which requestors sought information, with mixed success. “The main problem […]
-
8 December 2010
Georgia Access Regime Needs Fixing, OSI says
A variety of legislative and administrative recommendations to remedy perceived weaknesses in Georgia’s access to information practices are made in a new report by the Open Society Institute. The recommendations are an outgroeth of a four-country study in which requestors sought information, with mixed success. The section on Georgia says the public institutions were not delivering […]
-
8 December 2010
Improvements Suggested for Azerbaijan Access Law
Ideas for amending the Azerbaijan access to information law, for improving administration of the law and for enhancing proactive public access to information are among the recommendations contained in a new report. Prepared by the Open Society Institute and its affiliates, the report covers four countries in the region. The recommendations are based on the […]
-
8 December 2010
Ukrainian Access Law Needs Reform, OSI Report Says
Ukraine’s access to information regime needs strengthening in a variety of ways, according to a report by the Open Society Institute. A series of recommendations are contained in a four-country study in which requestors sought information, with mixed success. Efforts are under way to revise the Ukranian law and parliament may deal with the topic […]
-
3 December 2010
El Salvador Assembly Adopts Access Legislation
The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador passed a bill Dec. 2 on access to public information, overcoming efforts to send it back to committee. The measure garnered 55 votes and was supported by the Alianza Republicana Nacionalista and Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (Fmln). The proposed law would establish a five-person Institute for […]
-
3 December 2010
Singh Examines History, Future of Indian R2K Law
The genesis of the Indian right to know law is explored and directions for the future are elucidated in a detailed paper by Shekhar Singh, a founding member of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information. His insider view covers the birth of the movement in the 1990s and follows the course of the […]
-
26 November 2010
South Africa to Resume Work on POIB Next Year
A South African parliamentary committee will resume work in January 2011 on the controversial Protection of Information Bill. Committee chairman Cecil Burgess said members would reconvene in the second week of January to resolve remaining points of contention around the bill, which would provide for the classification of state information and criminalize the disclosure or […]
-
26 November 2010
France Considers Checks on Users of Public Data
Legislation being considered in France would permit police “behavior” checks on those who want to reuse information obtained from public bodies, according to a statement by AccessInfo and Regards Citoye. The groups said proposed amendments to the 1995 Police Security Act would significantly complicate and slow access to information in France. Consideration of the proposal […]
-
26 November 2010
FOI Notes: Science, Data, Environment
Science: The relationship of the United Kingdom’s freedom of information law and scientific research is explored in a post on the blog “100 Months … and counting.” The blog reprints an article published in the Times Higher Education magazine Nov. 25. The article asks: Why, then, has Freedom of Information (FoI) legislation, a key tool in […]
-
24 November 2010
Working Group to Polish Philippine FOI Legislation
A bi-partisan parliamentary working group has been formed to “further polish” a freedom of information bill for the Philippines, according to a news report on ABS-CBNNews.com. Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada was quoted as saying that the group “hopes to wrap up its work before Christmas so the measure can be reported out before the […]
-
24 November 2010
Work on Guyana FOI Bill Delayed; Talks Continue
Expectations that a freedom of information bill would be introduced this year in Guyana may go unfulfilled while discussions continue on the substance of the measure. In early November, a top government spokesman said FOI legislation could be offered in the Guyana parliament this year. (See previous Freedominfo.org report.) The Leader of the Alliance for […]
-
18 November 2010
Secret Societies Exempt From Sierra Leone FOI Proposal
“Secret societies” are exempted from the coverage of the proposed freedom of information law in Sierra Leone, according to Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, Executive Director of the Society for Democratic Initiatives in Sierra Leone. “Secret societies are ancient cultural institutions in the Upper Guinea Coast of West Africa and their primary purpose is to regulate sexual […]