The UK Freedom of Information Act: The First Year

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The UK Freedom of Information Act The First Year

• Dr Chris Hagar
• INASP
• chagar_at_inasp.info

CRRC-DAAD Conference on Social State Concept,
Armenian Reality and Perspectives, February
24-26, Tsakhkadzor
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Overview

• Global context
• The UK Freedom of Information Act
• First Year of Implementation The right to
  request information from January 2005
• FOI stories what has been disclosed
• Issues

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What is FOI?

• Legislation that empowers individuals to examine,
  appraise, and analyse government and public
  sector accountability and transparency
• Why?
• Widely recognised that unnecessary secrecy
  undermines public trust in government
• Information society
• Information rights
• Constitutional rights
• Citizenship in the information society

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FOI Laws common format

• Provide individual with right of access to
  documents held by government and public
  authorities
• Applicant not required to give reason for, or
  justify request
• Information can be withheld where law permits
• Exemptions to right of access
• Refusals can be challenged

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(No Transcript)
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FOIA Countries by continent

• The 68 FOIA countries continent wise ( Roger
  Vleugels, 2006)
• Dates formal approval and year in which country
  FOIA came in power
• Name of the FOIA
• Africa
• South Africa 2000 2001 Promotion of Access to
  Information Act
• Uganda 2005 2005 Access to Information Act
• Zimbabwe 2002 2002 Access to Information and
  Protection to Privacy Act

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FOIA Countries by continent

• Asia including The Middle East
• Armenia 2003 2003 Law on Freedom of Information
• Georgia 1999 2001 LFOI Law on Freedom of
  Information
• Hong Kong 1995 1998 CAI
• India 2002 2005 Right to Information Act
• Israel 1998 1999 Freedom of Information Law
• Japan 1999 2001 Law Concerning Access to
  Information
• Pakistan 2002 2002 Freedom of Information
  Ordinance
• South Korea 1996 1998 Act on Disclosure of
  Information
• Tajikistan 2002 2002 Law on Information
• Thailand 1997 1997 Official Information Act
• Turkey 2003 2004 Law on Right to Information
  small part Europe
• Uzbekistan 1997 1997 Latest revision 2003 Law on
  the Principles and Guarantees of FOI

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FOIA Countries by continent

• The Americas including the Caribbean
• Antigua/Barbuda 2004 2004 FOIA
• Aruba 1999 1999 LOB Landsverordening
  openbaarheid van bestuur
• Belize 1994 1994 FOIA
• Canada 1982 1983 AIA Access to Information Act
• Colombia 1888 1888 Latest revision 1985 Law
  Ordering the Publicity of Off. Acts and Documents
• Dominican Rep 2004 2004 Law on Access to
  Information
• Dutch Antilles 1999 1999 LOB Landsverordening
  openbaarheid van bestuur
• Ecuador 2004 2004 Transparency and Access to
  Information Law
• Jamaica 2002 2002 Access to Information Act
• Mexico 2002 2003 Federal Transparency and Access
  to Public Government Information Law
• Panama 2002 2002 Law on Transparency in Public
  Administration
• Peru 2002 2003 Law on Transparency
• Trinidad Tob. 1999 2001 FOIA
• USA 1966 1967 Latest revision 2002 FOIA

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FOIA Countries by continent

• Europe
• Albania 1999 1999 Law on Right to Information
• Austria 1987 1987 Auskunftsplichtsgezetz
• Belgium 1994 1994 WOB Wet openbaarheid
• Bosnia Herz. 2000 2002 FOIA
• Bulgaria 2000 2000 APIC Access to Public
• Croatia 2003 2003 Act on the Right of Access
• Czech Republic 1999 2000 Law on Free Access to
• Denmark 1970 1970 Latest revision 1985 Access
• Estonia 2000 2001 PIA Public Information
• Finland 1951 1951 Latest revision 1999 Act
• France 1978 1978 Law on Access to Administrative
• Germany 2005 2006 IFG Informationsfreiheitsgesetz
  
• Greece 1986 1986 Latest revision 1999 Code
• Hungary 1992 1993 The Protection of Personal
• Iceland 1969 1996 Information Act
• Ireland 1997 1998 FOIA
• Italy 1990 1990 Law No 241
• Kosovo 2003 2003 Law on Access to Official

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FOIA Countries by continent

• Lithuania 1996 2000 Law on the Provision of
  Information
• Moldova 2000 2000 Law on Access to Information
• Montenegro ? 2005 ?
• Netherlands 1978 1980 Latest revision 2005 WOB
  Wet
• Norway 1970 1970 FOIA
• Poland 2001 2002 Law on Access to Public
  Information
• Portugal 1993 1993 Law on Access to
  Administrative
• Romania 2001 2001 Law on Free Access to
  Information
• Scotland 2002 2005 FOIA
• Serbia 2003 2004 Law on Free Access to
  Information
• Slovakia 2000 2001 Act on Free Access to
  Information
• Slovenia 2003 2003 Act on Access to Information
• Spain 1992 1992 Law on Rules for Public
  Information
• Sweden 1766 1766 Latest revision 1976 Freedom
• Switzerland 2004 2006 Öffentlichkeitsgesetz
• Ukraine 1992 1992 Constitution art. 34 and OAI
• United Kingdom 2000 2005 FOIA UK minus Scotland

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FOIA Countries by continent

• Oceania
• Australia 1982 1982 FOIA
• New Zealand 1982 1982 Official Information Act

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Most complete FOI statement - Finland

• to promote openness and good practice on
  information management in government and to
  provide private individuals and corporations with
  an opportunity to monitor the exercise of public
  authority and the use of public resources, to
  freely form an opinion, to influence the exercise
  of public authority and to protect their rights
  and interests
• (Act on the Openness of Government Activities,
  1999 Finland, section3)

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UK Freedom of Information Act

• Passed in 2000
• Came into force in stages
• Fully into force January 2005
• Covers entire public sector
• Promotes greater openness and accountability

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Which organisations are affected?

• Central Government
• Local Authorities
• Police
• The Health Service
• Schools, Colleges and Universities
• Private organizations designated as public
  authorities

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The Act

• Applies to public authorities
• Establishes statutory right to information
• Allows anyone, no matter who or where they are,
  to find out whether information is held, and if
  it is, to have access to it
• Sets out exemptions from that right
• Provides for the release of exempt information in
  the public interest

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The Act

• Allows arrangements for enforcement and appeal
• Can result in imprisonment for contempt of court

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The Act

• Requires public authorities to produce
  publication schemes
• Requires codes of practice
• Creates the Office of the Information
  Commissioner
• Amends Data Protection of 1988

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The Act

• Covers all information held regardless in which
  form recorded
• Fully retrospective
• Anyone can apply for information
• All written requests for information to be dealt
  with in 20 working days
• There is no exemption for embarrassment
• There are implications for the private sector

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Publication schemes

• Authority must adopt and a maintain a PS,
  approved by the Information Commissioner
• Guide to types of information published
• Format
• Cost, if any

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Codes of practice

• Access code
• How to handle requests for information
• Level of advice and assistance expected
• Transferring requested from one public authority
  to another
• Consulting with third parties who may be affected
  by the release of information
• Records management

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Exemptions

• 23 exemptions e.g.
• Certain information relating to national security
• Information that would prejudice international
  relations
• Commercially sensitive information

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Office of the Information Commissioner

• Complaints procedure
• The IC can
• Serve an Information Notice on any public
  authority
• Issue a Decision Notice following his
  consideration of a complaint
• Serve an Enforcement Notice on the public
  authority

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Data Protection Act (DPA) and FOI how do the
two interact?

• DPA provides individuals with a right of access
  to personal information
• FOI provides information in relation to a public
  authority
• Need to develop a DPA which balances personal
  information privacy with need for public and
  private organisations to process personal
  information

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The First Year

• Early days
• Generally seen to be working well
• Hopeful glimmers of change starting to appear
  (Gregorczuk, 2005)
• Statistics
• No official figures for total no. of requests
• Estimate 130,000 requests
• 36,000 received by central government

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The First Year Who has used the Act?

• Who has used the Act?
• Public
• Media
• Scandals, requests from tabloid press
• Pressure Groups

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The First Year What has been disclosed?
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Differences in UK experience

• Full implementation not phased
• High political charge
• Shadow cabinet made 130 FOI requests in first
  three weeks
• Journalists utilising information gained to
  write stories about local authorities
• Volume of requests high
• Close ministerial interest in the law

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Issues

• OIC received 2,200 complaints
• Disclosure of information
• Good
• Local government
• Police
• Dept. for the Environment Rural Affairs
• Ministry of Defence
• Transport

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Issues

• Disclosure of information
• Bad
• Downing Street
• Trade Industry
• Treasury
• Home Office

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Issues

• Office of the Information Commissioner
• Delays in replying to requests
• Of 2,200 1,300 remain outstanding
• Transparency of government departments
• Fees to be charged by government bodies?
• The Central Clearing-House
• Records management
• Information creation

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Issues to consider in producing criteria

• Administrative law
• Case law
• Jurisprudence
• Opportunistic FOI behaviour of civil servants
  and/or cabinet members,
• The request volume
• Costs
• Quality of the archives
• Time for processing
• Access problems
• Political culture
• Civil society culture and

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Questions / discussion

• What is a good FOIA?
• What are objective criteria?
• What is a minimum standard for an FOIA Act?
• Existence of a FOI act assurance that it will
  be effective?

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Questions / discussion

• Information society
• Information rights?
• Constitutional rights?
• Citizenship in the information society?
• Change in culture
• The UK FOI is less a formal indicator of
  democracy and more a customer service designed to
  build up trust in the government ( Gregorczuk,
  2005)

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Reading

• News, views and updates on the UK Freedom of
  Information Act and worldwide FOI and open
  government. Maintained by Steve Wood, Lecturer at
  Liverpool John Moores University
  http//foia.blogspot.com
• Open Government a journal on freedom of
  Information www.opengovjournal.org/