Lesson 1: Overview
Summary –
- FOIA is designed to encourage a culture of openness and transparency in government and the public sector.
- Openness and transparency help to increase public trust in government, benefiting both the general public and the PAs.
- FOIA is overseen by the Information Commissioner Office (ICO).
- Public Authorities (PAs) are obliged to release information requested unless there is a good reason not to, and all requesters must be treated equally.
Lesson 2: Information requests
Summary –
- PAs must handle FOI requests neutrally and in a timely fashion.
- While the spirit of FOIA is to promote openness and transparency, there are a number of acceptable reasons for a request to be denied.
- The ICO can intervene in cases of dispute between requester and PA. Both parties have the right to appeal decisions made by the ICO.
Lesson 3: Publication schemes
Summary –
- FOIA encourages PAs to proactively and routinely publish information .
- PAs should follow the ICO’s publication scheme and definition documents to ensure compliance.
- Information not available through the PA’s publication scheme should be requested via a FOI request.
Show less
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.