[A2k] Access to Government Information

[James Love]

This is based on a submission from Dave Banisar.  (Dave let me know if
you are unhappy with the edits).

Article X - Access to Government Information

(a)  Members shall facilitate public access to information held by
public bodies and private bodies that are conducting public business.
This shall include laws and regulations to provide for legal procedures
for access to information based on the principles of openness and
transparency.

(b)  The right to information shall be guaranteed by law in accordance
with the following principles:

    (i)  everyone has the right to access information held by public bodies;
    (ii)  any exemptions to this right shall be set down in law, limited
in scope, and proportional to the interest to be protected, and subject
to a review of the public interest.
    (iii)  any refusal to disclose information shall be subject to
review by an independent body such as an ombudsman and/or a court;
    (iv)  public bodies shall be required, even in the absence of a
request, actively to publish important information of significant public
interest;
    (v)  secrecy laws and other legislation shall be amended as
necessary to comply with freedom of information principles.

--
James Love, Consumer Project on Technology, http://www.cptech.org,
mailto:love@cptech.org

Washington office, DC PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036, USA Tel.:
+1.202.387.8030, fax: +1.202.234.5176

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Switzerland. Tel: +41 22 791 6727

London office, 24 Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX, UK. Tel:+44(0)207
226 6663 ex 252. Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607