In our previous column on June 27, 2011 we summarized the principles, recommended by the international NGO known as ARTICLE 19, which should be embodied in Freedom of Information legislation. ARTICLE 19 has also published a model Freedom of Information Act incorporating those principles, making it easy for governments to adapt and introduce such legislation in their own countries, subject to their own constitutional imperatives, legal frameworks and drafting styles.
In its very first session in 1946, before any human rights declarations or treaties had been adopted, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 59(I) stating “Freedom of information (FOI) is a fundamental human right and …