The freedom of information act was passed on the 30th november 2000 and came into force on the 1st january 2005. From the outset, the nsw freedom of information act 1989 the foi act has been subject to amendment and criticism. Advantage and disadvantages of freedom of information act. Freedom of information act 2000 freedom of information. General right of access to information held by public authorities. As fears grow that the freedom of information act is under threat, excabinet secretary gus odonnell discusses its strengths. Oct 17, 2011 the question then boils down now to determining the scope of official regulatory discretion. News reporters are able to gather indepth and accurate information about a story that they might be investigating. An appraisal of the freedom of information act foia in nigeria. Freedom of information act 2000 request for information.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of freedom. Access to government information in my home state of nsw has a long and occasionally colourful history. Limitations of the freedom of information act telegraph. The freedom of information act 2000 the act was passed on 30. How the freedom of information act works howstuffworks. While the constitution says that the right may be limited by law, the bill in effect seeks to limit the scope of official regulatory discretion. Advantages arethe public is kept knowledgeable about the actions of its governmentthe officials in the government are kept honest because what they do can be made public. Freedom of information act central bank of nigeria. The freedom of information act 2000 provides public access to information held by public authorities. Mar 22, 2011 advantage and disadvantages of freedom of information act 2000. The possibility of introducing legislation was first raised in parliament in 1979. There are two essential points to consider when thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of freedom. Identify the institutional bodies affected by the freedom of information law. Fy 2000 fiscal year 2000, which ran from october 1, 1999, through september 30, 2000.
In 2000, the united nations special rapporteur on freedom of. One law which has benefited journalists is the freedom of information act the act, which came in to force in 2000, allows journalists or any member of the public to. The impact of the freedom of information act on central. This is sometimes described as a presumption or assumption in favour of disclosure. Its remit covers all recorded information held by a public authority. Due to the freedom of information, certain files may be released and this may cause. The researcher consulted secondary sources such as books, journals, and magazines. The workings of the freedom of information legislation require political and economic prerequisites. Limitations of the foia how the freedom of information act works. Nov 26, 2014 the freedom of information act 2000 was introduced to allow the public to access recorded information held by public authorities. Full disclosure due to the nature of the situation voice370.
The freedom of information act 2000 is a parliament act of the united kingdom. Information governance freedom of information act 2000. The freedom of information act has just one problem. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the united kingdom on a national level. In many countries, this freedom is supported as a constitutional right.
Although there are many merits to having a freedom of information act, there are certain disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. The freedom of information act 2000 was introduced to allow the public to access recorded information held by public authorities. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the freedom of information act 2000. The uk freedom of information act 2000 in healthcare research.
Gilbert, j 2000 the access to information act and its effect on public. It is not limited to official documents and it covers, for example, emails, recordings of telephone conversations and cctv footage. How the freedom of information act affects businesses if your business deals with public or regulatory bodies eg through grants, licences or tenders, the freedom of information foi act can affect it in a number of ways. In response to a request the public authority must tell the applicant whether it holds the information, and must normally supply it within 20 working days. Freedom of information act 2000 chapter 36 arrangement of sections part i access to information held by public authorities right to information section 1. For reasons of brevity, freedom of information is abbreviated to foi and the freedom of information act 2000 to foia throughout. The information technology act, 2000 also known as ita2000, or the it act is an act of the indian parliament no 21 of 2000 notified on 17 october 2000. Oct 30, 2012 freedom of information act 2000 labour manifesto commitment in 1997 came into force, along with environmental information regulations, in 2005 covers england, wales, northern ireland scotland has similar, but nonidentical, law brought uk into line with 85 other countries around world with some form of freedom of information legislation. Ben worthy explains the benefits, limitations and difficulty of the freedom of information act brought in by the blair administration in 2000. Limitations of the foia how the freedom of information act. In 20082009, a research project, funded by the arts and humanities research council, was run by the department of information studies at university college london ucl.
Freedom of information act in the philippines soapboxie. Egwunyenga, ej 2009 records keeping in universities. Freedom of information act by roop bachada on prezi. The main disadvantage is enteties that are exempt, such as congress. There is a lot of governmental information available to the public thanks to the foia, including autopsy reports, campus crime information, divorce records and county jail rosters, but even after all the recent changes, the law still has limitations. Read freedom of information act online, read in mobile or kindle. With the enactment of the freedom of information act 2014, freedom of information in ireland has been further developed. The main principle behind freedom of information legislation is that people have a right to know about the activities of public authorities, unless there is a good reason for them not to. The first is that freedom is a continuum, not an absolute. The freedom of information act foia generally provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information except to the extent the records are protected from disclosure by any of nine exemptions contained in the law or by one of three special law enforcement. The release of certain information could jeopardize international relationships.
Apr 11, 2011 as i see the freedom of information act, the. Freedom of information act 2000 an act making provisions for the disclosure of information held by public authorities or by persons providing services for them published on mon 18 may 2009 10. This study appraises the freedom of information act in nigeria. This is a right provided or empowered to the people of our nation or to a much better extent the consumers and customers of our natio. On the other hand the durability of digital objects is restricted by the limitations of storage media and the. What are the advantages and disadvantages of freedom of. Communications regarding the soft drinks industry levy thank you for your freedom of information enquiry of 14 march 2017. Promotion of access to information act 2 of 2000 english text signed by the president published in gg 20852 of 3 february 2000 commencements see s. Reflect on the strengths and shortcomings of freedom of information legislation. It gives the public a greater understanding of what their government is doing and how this affects the country. Here, archivists prepare government documents for access by the general public. The main one is the threat to national security, which can be internal or external. The freedom of information foi act fosters an openness and transparency in government which is vital for our society. The very fact of the introduction of the freedom of information act will signal a new relationship between government and people.
An act to make provision for the disclosure of information held by public authorities or by persons providing services for them and to amend the data protection act 1998 and the public records act 1958. Find out what the freedom of information act 2000 requires in terms of data retrieval and how to use an foi request to improve data classification in your storage systems. Pdf an appraisal of the freedom of information act foia. Citizens of the country are kept up to date and anything the the government does is put up for everyone to see. The freedom of information act 2000 is when individuals get rights of access to recorded information held by public authorities. Highlights this study examines a simultaneous causal relationship between press freedom and the freedom of information legislation. May 18, 2009 freedom of information act 2000 an act making provisions for the disclosure of information held by public authorities or by persons providing services for them published on mon 18 may 2009 10.
As fears grow that the freedom of information act is under threat, excabinet secretary gus odonnell discusses its strengths and weaknesses. With the ongoing debate on the urgency or nonurgency of the freedom of information bill, one might get the impression that the bill is about a novel right. Reflect on the strengths and shortcomings of freedom of information legislation in their own country. The university of southampton the university is committed to complying with the freedom of information act 2000 the act, which grants the public right of access to information held by or on behalf of public authorities. The freedom of information act of 2000 the act was passed by the uk parliament in 2000 and came into force in its entirety in 2005. Jan 30, 2012 archives and society freedom of information ben worthy university college london 4 october 2011.
It aims to promote a culture of openness and accountability in the public sector, by providing people with a general right of access to all types of recorded information. Nov 26, 2012 freedom of information refers to a citizens right to access information that is held by the state. This was passed as an independent act by indian government in the year 2005. What are the advantages and disadvantages of right to. This is a compilation of the freedom of information act 1982 that shows the text of. Under the act, any person has a legal right to ask for access to information held by the school. Apr 27, 2012 is the freedom of information act a good thing. Foia freedom of information act, as amended by the electronic freedom of information act amendment of 1996. Freedom of information act by raisa gabrielli on prezi.
Given foias many limitations and drawbacks, a forwardlooking legislative. Certain information could be used to incite strong public disturbance and riots which could possibly destabilize the government. The promotion of access to information act, adopted in 2000, states. Freedom of information beyond the freedom of information act. Article information, pdf download for the possible benefits of. Its because of the freedom of information act that we have access to many such documents. Some of the disadvantages included loss of freedom, privacy, there was very few rights, and complete and utter servitude to the state. The freedom of information act 2000 grants members of the public, as well as businesses and journalists, a right to access information held by government bodies and some other types of. Freedom of information act 1982 federal register of legislation. Freedom of information the guide to freedom of information. Its because of the freedom of information act that we have access to many. 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. Freedom of information issues and recent developments in nsw.
What are the disadvantages and advantages of the freedom. Freedom of information publication of arrangements regulations. Although its legal provisions are broadly similar, its administration has proved a different experience. Anwar ibrahim says government purposefully concealing information freedom of information act basic principles of f. The impact of the freedom of information legislation on press freedom is limited to advanced industrial democracies. Advantages and disadvantages of freedom of information act. From citizens point of view there are no disadvantages of using rti because citizens get opportunity to know the functioning of governme. The act prescribes a statutory right of access to information held by public authorities and public sector organisations, pursuant to conditions contained within the act. May 27, 2011 what are the disadvantages and advantages of the freedom of information act 2000 and the computer misuse act. The wide range of restrictions in relation to access which were introduced in 2003 were removed, foi has been extended to all public bodies, subject to limited exemptions in whole or in part. First, from citizens point of view and second from pios point of view. The project considered the interrelationship between. How the freedom of information act affects businesses.
Its application is limited in scotland which has its own freedom of information legislation to uk government. Freedom of information media law, ethics and regulation. They are entitled to be told whether the school holds the information, and to receive a copy, subject to certain exemptions. In the 2008 ministry of justice fourth annual report on the freedom of information act 2000 ministry of justice, 2009b, it is recorded that there were 34, 950 requests under foia and eirs below to central government departments of state and monitored bodies of central government in 2008. What are the disadvantages and advantages of the freedom of information act 2000 and the computer misuse act. What are the disadvantages of the right to information act.
This is what the freedom of information bill tries to do. Freedom of information and its impact in the united kingdom. I would like to know these as im really stuck on my. Download freedom of information act ebook free in pdf and epub format. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the freedom. It took a further ten years of parliamentary backandforth for the freedom of information act to come into force.
This paper updates background paper no 3 2000 freedom of. Freedom of information act 2011 laws of the federation of nigeria an act to make public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, protect public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of. Staff have to be paid to respond to requests from the public and to find the requested information. If people have an interest in a particular area they are able to request information that was not previously available to the public. Article information, pdf download for the possible benefits of freedom. The freedom of information act 2000 foi came fully into force on january 1 2005. Archives and societyfreedom of informationben worthy university college london4 october 2011ben worthy explains the benefits, limitations and difficulty of the freedom of information act brought in by the blair administration in 2000. The impact of freedom of information on records management. Freedom of information benefits and limitations of the act. Freedom of information act the pros and cons youtube. Many requests under the foi act are made simply out of curiosity or to cause an annoyance. I would like to know these as im really stuck on my assignment for college, thank youuuuuu answer save. It is the primary law in india dealing with cybercrime and electronic commerce. It examined the impact of the uk freedom of information act foia 2000 on records management services in public authorities, especially in local government.
How does the freedom of information act benefit citizens of the united kingdom. What are the principles behind the freedom of information act. The freedom of information act 2000 and data retrieval. The most misfortunate disadvantage is the fact foia and open government in america is years behind other countries despite our foia laws are much older. In october 2000, in an important development, the commission approved the. While its introduction was accompanied by high expectations about improved democratic accountability, for many its actual operation has proved inadequate. It aims to promote a culture of openness and accountability in the public sector, by providing people with a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities. The freedom of information act 2000 and data storage.
The uk freedom of information foi act 2000 was passed with the intention of making government more transparent, accountable and effective. As a matter of fact, there already is a constitutional provision on the subject. In the united states, the freedom of information act allows for the disclosure of government documents and previously unreleased information that falls under the u. It grants the public a right of access to acquiring information that is held by public officials. What are the disadvantages and advantages of the freedom of.
The act would subsequently become known as one of two acts that tony blair would later declare as a mistake during his time. Freedom of information act foia allows any person to request any. Freedom of information legislation and its impact on press. What are the grey areas in the implementation of the state acts and right to information act. Freedom of information refers to a citizens right to access information that is held by the state.
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