06-06-2004, 04:52 AM
Anyone else remember this one? I'd completely forgotten about it until I saw it in the archives. This bill reached the third reading, recieved one vote in the affirmative, and that was it. Parliament I think ground to a halt at about this time.
Another bit of mindless history for you, when passing this act someone pointed out to me that all government information was already availible. My responce to this was to create a secret government archive, with the intent that all ministrys would post there reports there so that people could have some to submit FOI requests about.
Not to mention the use of having an archive for the next government, so they didn't have to start from scratch. But that was a minor aside benifit!
Another bit of mindless history for you, when passing this act someone pointed out to me that all government information was already availible. My responce to this was to create a secret government archive, with the intent that all ministrys would post there reports there so that people could have some to submit FOI requests about.
Not to mention the use of having an archive for the next government, so they didn't have to start from scratch. But that was a minor aside benifit!
Quote:A Bill
Freedom of Information Act 2003
An act to ensure that the people of the Kingdom of Hanover have access to governmental information and thus further the accountability of government and the knowledge and understanding of Hanoverian citizens.
Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the elected representatives of His Majesty's subjects, in this first here assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Section 1: Applications
a) Any citizen of the Kingdom of Hanover shall have access to the governmental information they desire in so far as the provision of this information does not, within reasonable grounds, compromise the security or threaten the stability of the Kingdom of Hanover or violate the privacy of any person.
Applications for information held by the government or subordinate bodies may be filed by any citizen to the Department of State using the Freedom of Information Application (from now referred to as FOIA) Form attached as schedule one to this act.
c) The Department of State must provide all existing governmental information requested in the FOIA so long as:
1) The FOIA Application is not deemed overly vague
2) The provision of information requested does not compromise the security of the state,
3) The provision of information requested does not violate personal privacy,
4) The information is in existence and held by the government.
5) The information is not already in the public domain.
d) The Department of State may reject applications that the Department of State has reasonable grounds to believe will be used in criminal activity.
e) The contents of all governmental cabinet archives shall remain private unless the current Cabinet and the member of cabinet who posted the said archived document and the Prime Minister consent.
f) The Department of State may charge a nominal fee for the cost of research and of processing each page of requested information.
g) The decision of the Department of State to reject FOIA may be appealed by the applicant in the High Court on the basis that proper grounds for rejection did not exist or the fee charged by the Department of State was excessive.
Section 2: Miscellaneous
a) This act may be cited at the ‘Freedom of Information Act 2003’
Schedule to the Act
Freedom of Information Application Form
Name of Applicant:
Reason for Application:
Type of Information Requested:
Name(s) of Documents requested (if known):
Define the Information as Specifically and with as much Detail as Possible: