National Freedom of Information Laws

 

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In the following list, the most current piece of national-level legislation is given – for example, in Finland, the original legislation was the 1951 Act on Publicity of Official Documents, but the 1999 Act on the Openness of Government Activities superseded it, so the latter is listed. Where legislation has been amended but not superseded, the original date is given; the detailed discussion will mention specific amendments. As with the main discussion, the names of legislation are given in English unless no direct translation is known; as translations are often “in the spirit” of the original rather than a literal conversion, these may disagree with the names given in other sources. Where multiple laws are listed, these are equally significant in the nation; where regional laws are significant, these are referred to.

 

In seventeen countries there is some legislation pending, and in the remaining one hundred and nine countries, no legislation is known to exist.

 

Country

Name of legislation

Year

Afghanistan

None known

 

Albania

Law 8503, On the right to information over the official documents

1999

Algeria

None known

 

Andorra

None known

 

Angola

Access to Administrative Documents Act

Unknown

Antigua and Barbuda

No legislation as of 2003

 

Argentina

Freedom of Information Law

            also regional legislation

Pending

Armenia

Law on Freedom of Information (not in force)

2003

Australia

Freedom of Information Act 1982

            also regional legislation

1982

Austria

Auskunftspflichtgesetz

1987

Azerbaijan

Law on Freedom of Information (currently inactive legislation)

Pending

Bahamas

No legislation as of 2003

 

Bahrain

None known

 

Bangladesh

No legislation as of 2005

 

Barbados

No legislation as of 2005; government plans an act by 2008

 

Belarus

Constitutional right with no enabling legislation known

 

Belgium

Loi du 11 avril 1994 relative à la publicité de l'administration

            also regional legislation

1994

Belize

Freedom of Information Act

1994

Benin

None known

 

Bhutan

None known

 

Bolivia

No legislation as of 2002

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Freedom of Access to Information Act for the Republika Srpska

Freedom of Access to Information Act for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

2001

2001

Botswana

Title not known

Pending

Brazil

No legislation as of 2002

 

Brunei Darussalam

No legislation as of 2003

 

Bulgaria

Access to Public Information Act

2000

Burkina Faso

None known

 

Burundi

None known

 

Cambodia

No legislation as of 2005

 

Canada

Access to Information Act

            also regional legislation

1985

Cape Verde

None known

 

Central African Republic

None known

 

Chad

None known

 

Chile

Law of Freedom of Opinion and Information and Journalistic Practice

2001

Colombia

Ley 57 de 1985 Por la cual se ordena la publicidad de los actos y documentos oficiales

1985

Comoros

None known

 

Costa Rica

No legislation as of 2002

 

Côte d'Ivoire

None known

 

Croatia

Act on the Right of Access to Information

2003

Cuba

None known

 

Cyprus

None known

 

Czech Republic

Law on Free Access to Information

1999

Democratic Republic of the Congo

None known

 

Denmark

Access to Public Information Files Act

1985

Djibouti

None known

 

Dominica

None known

 

Dominican Republic

No legislation as of 2002

 

Ecuador

Transparency and Access to Information Law

2004

Egypt

None known

 

El Salvador

None known

 

Equatorial Guinea

None known

 

Eritrea

None known

 

Estonia

Public Information Act

2000

Ethiopia

No legislation as of 2003

 

Federated States of Micronesia

None known

 

Fiji

Freedom of Information Bill 2004

Pending

Finland

Act on the Openness of Government Activities

1999

France

Law on Access to Administrative Documents

1978

Gabon

None known

 

Gambia

No legislation as of 2003

 

Georgia

Law on Freedom of Information

1999

Germany

Federal Freedom of Information Act

            also regional legislation

2005

Ghana

Freedom of Information Bill

Pending

Greece

Code of Administrative Procedure

1999

Grenada

No legislation as of 2003

 

Guatemala

No legislation as of 2005

 

Guinea

None known

 

Guinea-Bissau

None known

 

Guyana

No legislation as of 2003

 

Haiti

None known

 

Honduras

None known

 

Hungary

Act on the Protection of Personal Data and Public Access to Data of Public Interest

1992

Iceland

Information Act

1996

India

Right to Information Act

2005

Indonesia

Title not known

Pending

Iran

None known

 

Iraq

None known

 

Ireland

Freedom of Information Act, 1997

1997

Israel

Freedom of Information Law 5758-1998

1998

Italy

Law No. 251, 7 August 1990

1990

Jamaica

Access to Information Act 2002

2002

Japan

Law Concerning Access to Information Held by Administrative Agencies

1999

Jordan

Law on the Guarantee of Access to Information

Pending

Kazakhstan

No legislation as of 2002

 

Kenya

Freedom of Information Act

Pending

Kiribati

None known

 

Kuwait

None known

 

Kyrgyzstan

Law on Guarantees and Free Access to Information

1997

Laos

None known

 

Latvia

Law on Freedom of Information

1998

Lebanon

None known

 

Lesotho

Access and Receipt of Information Bill

Pending

Liberia

No legislation as of 2004

 

Libya

None known

 

Liechtenstein

Information Act

1999

Lithuania

Law on Provision of Information to the Public

1996

Luxembourg

No legislation as of 2003

 

Macedonia

No legislation as of 2005

 

Madagascar

Constitutional right with no enabling legislation known

 

Malawi

Explicit constitutional provision, but no legislation as of 2003

 

Malaysia

No legislation as of 2005

 

Maldives

Title not known

Pending

Mali

None known

 

Malta

Various minor pieces of legislation

Unknown

Marshall Islands

None known

 

Mauritania

None known

 

Mauritius

No legislation as of 2003

 

Mexico

Federal Transparency and Access to Public Government Information Law

2002

Moldova

Law on Access to Information

2000

Monaco

Title not known

Pending

Mongolia

No legislation as of 2005

 

Morocco

None known

 

Mozambique

Freedom of Information Bill

Pending

Myanmar (Burma)

None known

 

Namibia

No legislation as of 2003

 

Nauru

Freedom of Information Act 2004

Pending

Nepal

None known

 

Netherlands

Government Information (Public Access) Act

1991

New Zealand

Official Information Act 1982

1982

Nicaragua

None known

 

Niger

None known

 

Nigeria

Freedom of Information Bill

Pending

North Korea

None known

 

Norway

Freedom of Information Act

1970

Oman

None known

 

Pakistan

Freedom of Information Ordinance, 2002

2002

Palau

None known

 

Panama

Law on Transparency in Government Bodies

2002

Papua New Guinea

Constitutional right with no enabling legislation as of 2005

 

Paraguay

No legislation as of 2005

 

People’s Republic of China (China)

Various regional legislation only

 

Peru

Law of Transparency and Access to Public Information

2002

Philippines

Various constitutional provisions

 

Poland

Law on Access to Public Information

2001

Portugal

Law of Access to Administrative Documents

1993

Qatar

None known

 

Republic of China (Taiwan)

No legislation as of 2005

 

Republic of the Congo

None known

 

Romania

Law Regarding Free Access to Information of Public Interest

2001

Russian Federation

None known

 

Rwanda

None known

 

Samoa

No legislation as of 2004.

 

San Marino

None known

 

São Tomé and Príncipe

None known

 

Saudi Arabia

None known

 

Senegal

None known

 

Serbia and Montenegro

Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance

2004

Seychelles

None known

 

Seychelles

No legislation as of 2003

 

Sierra Leone

None known

 

Singapore

None known

 

Slovakia

Act on Free Access to Information

2000

Slovenia

Act on Access to Information of Public Character

2003

Solomon Islands

None known

 

Somalia

None known

 

South Africa

Promotion of Access to Information Act

2000

South Korea

Act on Disclosure of Information by Public Agencies

1996

Spain

Ley 30/1992, de 26 de noviembre, de Régimen Jurídico de las Administraciones Públicas y del Procedimiento Administrativo Común

1992

Sri Lanka

Freedom of Information Act

Pending

St. Kitts and Nevis

No legislation as of 2003

 

St. Lucia

No legislation as of 2003

 

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

No legislation as of 2003

 

Sudan

None known

 

Suriname

None known

 

Swaziland

None known

 

Sweden

Freedom of the Press Act

1949

Switzerland

Loi fédérale sur le principe de la transparence dans l’administration

2004

Syria

None known

 

Tajikistan

Law on Television and Radio Broadcasting

1996

Tanzania

No legislation as of 2003

 

Thailand

Official Information Act, B.E. 2540 (1997)

1997

Timor-Leste (East Timor)

None known

 

Togo

None known

 

Tonga

None known

 

Trinidad and Tobago

Freedom of Information Act, 1999

1999

Tunisia

None known

 

Turkey

Law on the Right to Information

2004

Turkmenistan

No legislation as of 2002

 

Tuvalu

No legislation as of 2003

 

Uganda

Access to Information Bill, 2004 (Bill No. 7)

Pending

Ukraine

Law on Information

1992

United Arab Emirates

None known

 

United Kingdom

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

2000

2002

United States of America

Freedom of Information Act

            also regional legislation

1966

Uruguay

Exact legislation unclear

Unknown

Uzbekistan

Law on Principles and Guarantees of Freedom of Information

2003

Vanuatu

No legislation as of 2003

 

Vatican City

None known

 

Venezuela

Organic Law on Administrative Procedures

1981

Vietnam

None known

 

Yemen

Press and Publications Law of 1990

1990

Zambia

No legislation as of 2004

 

Zimbabwe

Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act

2002