National Freedom of Information Laws
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was the 1951 Act on Publicity of Official Documents, but the 1999 Act on the Openness of Government Activities superseded it, so the latter is listed. Where legislation has been amended but not superseded, the original date is given; the detailed discussion will mention specific amendments.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 |