Schedule 1 information disclosure of which is taken to be contrary to the public interest. The freedom of information act and the dpa 2018 come under the heading of information rights and are regulated by the ico. Freedom of information act 2011 laws of the federation of nigeria arrangement of sections 1. Official pdf, 159 pages world bank documents world bank group. Freedom of information act foia official web site of. Freedom of information act 2016 act legislation register. For example, the freedom of information act in the united states is nearly. A foi applicant is not required to explain their reason for seeking access, or demonstrate a special need for or interest in a document. As the 30th anniversary of the foi act passes, the development of foi law and culture since the act was initially passed has undergone incredible change. The norwegian freedom of information act a not so transparent. This includes information they hold about you or about government policies and decisions. About freedom of information freedom of information.
It allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the united states government. The omb guidelines, pursuant to the freedom of information reform act of 1986, require that each agencys fees be based upon its direct reasonable operating costs of providing foia services. Background, legislation, and policy issues congressional research service summary the freedom of information act foia. Freedom of information act 1991 south australian legislation. Freedom of information act 1992 schedule 1 glossary cl. There are separate environmental information regulations giving similar rights of access to environmental information. Commonwealth in which the veterans entitlements act 1986. Members of the public have certain rights of access.
Act to apply to courts in respect of administrative matters 6. They may supply the information if you ask without needing you to lodge a foi request. This act does not apply to a a record held by i the courts, or ii a service tribunal within the meaning of section 161 of the defence act 1954, and relating to, or to proceedings in, a court or such a tribunal, other than. Your rights under the freedom of information act and the privacy act 2014 3 chapter one. Each agency shall make available to the public information as follows a1. Freedom of information act central bank of nigeria. Creating a new era of open government, department of justice, april 17, 2009 attorney general holders policy memorandum on. Freedom of information act, 1997 irish statute book.
When a person makes a request for their own information, this is a data protection subject access request. Indeed, as stated in 1 foia and as reiterated in the norways second action plan on open. The act which is an expansion of section 39 of the constitution of the. In norwegian, the short title of the foia is offentleglova. Sets forth items to be published in federal register proactive disclosure of, e. An act to reform the authorities of the federal government to require the production of certain business records, conduct electronic surveillance, use pen registers and trap and trace devices, and use other forms of information gathering for foreign intelligence, counterterrorism, and criminal purposes, and for. These include the right to access documents about the operation of government departments and documents that are in the possession of government ministers or agencies freedom of information act 1982. Freedom of information act united states wikipedia. Below is the full text of the freedom of information act in a form showing all amendments to the statute made by the openness promotes effectiveness in our national government act of 2007. To date, 12 commonwealth countries have adopted foi laws and bills are pending. Freedom of information act 1982 table of provisions long title part ipreliminary 1.
The freedom of information act statutory definition agencies, upon receiving requests for records which i reasonably describes the records sought and ii are made in accordance with published rules stating the time, place, fees if any, shall make records promptly available. The freedom of information act ministry of home affairs. The commonwealth scholarship commission in the united kingdom. The oco receives foi requests for a wide range of documents, however, the two main requests are. The act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure procedures, and defines nine exemptions to the statute. See freedom of information amendment reform act 2010 cth, australian information. Authorised by the act parliamentary counselalso accessible at.
Enacted in 1966, the freedom of information act foia is a federal law that establishes the publics right to obtain information from federal government agencies. Freedom of information act 1982 cth last modified on 16 august, 2010. Objects information or documents otherwise accessible 4. Hrsa, like all federal agencies, must disclose information under the. Information provided according to article 17 of the freedom of information act may be viewed by accessing the above links or by contacting the principal freedom of information officer, ministry for home affairs, national security and law enforcement mhse,201 strait street, valletta vlt 2000, tel.
Before lodging a freedom of information foi request, check if the information you want is already available on the website of the agency you think holds the information. This version of this act contains provisions that are prospective. Freedom of info around the world national democratic institute. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in. The freedom of information act foia is a law that gives you the right to access information from the federal government. The law defines agency records subject to disclosure. The worlds first freedom of information act access info europe. The freedom of information act was enacted a few years ago, to promote, enhance and develop our precarious democracy. The freedom of information act foia is a federal law that gives any person, including u. Certain legislation relating to australian capital territory not to be enactment 4b. The commission has not increased its fees for processing foia requests in over 20 years, despite increased costs to the agency.
An act to make provision for the disclosure of information held by public authorities or. Federal register freedom of information act regulations. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. State financial institutions and metway merger facilitation act 1996 no.
General information about the foia the foia is a federal statute that grants the public a judiciallyenforceable right to access the. Freedom of information actus freedom of information act. Request for access to documents under the freedom of. See the freedom of information act 1982 cth hereafter foi act. The foi officer will eventually inform the complainant about the outcome of hisher complaint, informing about the possibility to lodge an appeal with the information and data protection commissioner idpc in accordance with articles 9 fees and 23 of the freedom of information act, cap. Act 2018 manual unstructured data held by public authorities were. Its application is limited in scotland which has its own freedom of information legislation to uk government. Its provisions apply in england, wales and northern ireland, but not in scotland which has its own similar, though different, act passed by the scottish executive on 28 may 2002. The freedom of information act foia allows you to access information from the federal government. This act may be cited as the freedom of information act 1991. The freedom of information act, as amended by the foia improvement act of 2016 doj reply to congressional questions on foia policy, june 10, 20 in reply to february 4, 20 letter office of information policy oi guidance.
This is a compilation of the freedom of information act 1982 that shows the text of the. There are currently no known outstanding effects for the freedom of information act 2000. Freedom of information act 1982 federal register of legislation. Information is assumed to be open from the time it is created, unless one of the exemptions set out in the freedom of information act applies. An act to give to members of the public rights of access to official documents of the government of the commonwealth and of its agencies. Extension of time limit for granting or refusing application 7. The freedom of information act 2000 foia is intended to act as a catalyst for change in the way public authorities approach openness and manage their records. Commonwealth agencies have received a total of 601,277 access requests. The therapeutic goods administration tga does not generally hold personal health records about individuals such as. The court shall award, in addition to any actual or compensatory damages, punitive. It outlines mandatory disclosure procedures and grants nine exemptions to the law.
Part 3 processing and deciding on requests for access oaic. Or, if you want to access to your personal information, try contacting the agency you think holds it first. The freedom of information act, or foia, was signed into law by president lyndon johnson in 1966, giving the public the right to access records from any. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the united kingdom on a national level. One hundred fourteenth congress of the united states of. The essential features of the act, as summarised in the guide to the freedom of information act 1982 2011, are. Below is the full text of the freedom of information act in a form showing all amendments to the statute made by the foia improvement act of 2016. Processing freedom of information foi requests commonwealth. The past two decades have seen these foi legislation and ogd.