06-13-2004, 07:35 AM
Quote:
A Bill
Freedom of Information Act 2004
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 fourth Parliament 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 Ministry of Interior Affairs using the Freedom of Information Application (from now referred to as FOIA) Form attached as schedule one to this act.
c) The Ministry of Interior Affairs 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 Ministry of Interior Affairs may reject applications that the Ministry of Interior Affairs 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 Ministry of Interior Affairs may charge a nominal fee for the cost of research and of processing each page of requested information.
g) The decision of the Ministry of Interior Affairs to reject a 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 Ministry of Interior Affairs was excessive.
Section 2: Miscellaneous
a) This act may be cited at the ‘Freedom of Information Act 2004’
This Act holds the force of law immediately upon receiving Royal Assent.
Schedule to the Act (1)
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:
Freedom of Information Act 2004
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 fourth Parliament 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 Ministry of Interior Affairs using the Freedom of Information Application (from now referred to as FOIA) Form attached as schedule one to this act.c) The Ministry of Interior Affairs 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 Ministry of Interior Affairs may reject applications that the Ministry of Interior Affairs 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 Ministry of Interior Affairs may charge a nominal fee for the cost of research and of processing each page of requested information.
g) The decision of the Ministry of Interior Affairs to reject a 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 Ministry of Interior Affairs was excessive.
Section 2: Miscellaneous
a) This act may be cited at the ‘Freedom of Information Act 2004’
This Act holds the force of law immediately upon receiving Royal Assent.Schedule to the Act (1)
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:
This bill is intended to promote a culture of government accountability by ensuring all Hanoverian citizens have reasonable access to any non-security related information held by the government that is not availible in the public forums.
First Reading Friendly Amendments:
1. Changed 2003 references to 2004
2. changed enacting clause to reflect the fact that this is the fourth, not the first, parliament.
3. Changed references to the Department of State to the Ministry of Asset Management
4. changed references of Ministry of Asset Management to the newly formed Ministry of Interior Affairs.