This Freedom of Information Bill, 2019 will repeal the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27]. The Bill will give effect to section 62 of the Constitution which enshrines in the Declaration of Rights the right of access to information.

In brief, the Bill sets out—

• the procedure for access to information held by public institutions by the citizenry and permanent residents;

• the procedure for accessing by any person of information held by any personwhere the information is necessary for the exercise or protection of a right;

• considerations for the making available on a voluntary basis by entities, certain categories of information thereby obviating the need for formal requests for such information;

• the scope of limitations on the right of access to information which are conceived, in some cases, as mandatory and in others as discretionary, protections against disclosure of information;

• the rights of third parties with respect to any information whose disclosure has been requested;

• the role of principle officers of entities and information officers in the implementation of the right to access information;

• the procedures for internal appeals and court appeals against decisions made by information officers or principle officers of entities with respect to requests for access to information;

• the time limits within which processes must be carried out; and

• the additional functions of the Human Rights Commission with respect to the right of access to information, which are to be exercised in the normal course of its role as the guardian of human rights.

In more detail, the Bill provides as follows—