Access to information is critical for enabling citizens to exercise their rights, effectively monitor and hold the government to account, and empower them to make informed decisions about issues affecting their lives.
But while 91 percent of the world’s population live in a country with a right to information law, having such rights in place doesn’t always make for a fair or transparent system.
A recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Guardian in Australia revealed a clear abuse of power after documents showed former Prime Minister Scott Morrison organising a secretive cabinet committee, appointing himself to administer several government departments. However, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet decided to release only six meeting minutes and denied access to the remaining 733 documents, “citing confidentiality, harm to commonwealth-state relations, and adverse effects on an agency’s operation”.
