The Use and Effects of Access to Information Laws. A study in 14 countries
Details
State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: Not specified
Serval ID
serval:BIB_F1D0D043F56F
Type
Report: a report published by a school or other institution, usually numbered within a series.
Publication sub-type
Working paper: Working papers contain results presented by the author. Working papers aim to stimulate discussions between scientists with interested parties, they can also be the basis to publish articles in specialized journals
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The Use and Effects of Access to Information Laws. A study in 14 countries
Institution details
Université de Lausanne, Institut de hautes études en administration publique IDHEAP
Issued date
2019
Number
6/2019
Genre
Working Paper de l'IDHEAP
Language
english
Number of pages
55
Abstract
Almost undisputedly, transparency is now considered as a core component of good governance and
a prerequisite to a lively democracy. One of the main features of this development is the global
explosion of freedom of information laws, which provide citizens with the opportunity to request
official information from administrations, excluding documents subject to exemption. These laws
have attracted the attention of a growing number of scholars worldwide, with the focus on how
they should be built in order to guarantee access rights to the general public. This study is based on
oversight bodies’ perceptions of the present state and future perspectives regarding public access
to official information. It concentrates more specifically on the supposed beneficial effects of
transparency, the continuity and structural changes faced by oversight bodies and the resistance
displayed by administrations. The results show that although problems and barriers to access are
still clearly in place, oversight bodies remain optimistic about the future of freedom of information
laws and point out that beneficial effects have already been observed. Moreover, these effects are
generally expected to further increase in the near future.
a prerequisite to a lively democracy. One of the main features of this development is the global
explosion of freedom of information laws, which provide citizens with the opportunity to request
official information from administrations, excluding documents subject to exemption. These laws
have attracted the attention of a growing number of scholars worldwide, with the focus on how
they should be built in order to guarantee access rights to the general public. This study is based on
oversight bodies’ perceptions of the present state and future perspectives regarding public access
to official information. It concentrates more specifically on the supposed beneficial effects of
transparency, the continuity and structural changes faced by oversight bodies and the resistance
displayed by administrations. The results show that although problems and barriers to access are
still clearly in place, oversight bodies remain optimistic about the future of freedom of information
laws and point out that beneficial effects have already been observed. Moreover, these effects are
generally expected to further increase in the near future.
Keywords
Transparency, Freedom of information laws, Europe, Access to information, Comparative study
Open Access
Yes
Create date
22/11/2019 7:13
Last modification date
21/11/2022 8:20
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