Freedom of Information: A Comparative Legal Survey - Federation of ...

175. Bill No. 98-C of 2000. Available at: http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/
ORA-2004/pdf/the_freedom_of_inf_act2002.pdf.
176. For a detailed review of earlier regional and national right to information developments
in India see ARTICLE 19, Centre for Policy Alternatives, Commonwealth Human
Rights Initiative and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Global Trends on the Right
to Information: A Survey of South Asia (London: July, 2001). Available at: http://www.
article19.org/pdfs/publications/south-asia-foi-survey.pdf.
177. Right to Information Act, No. 22 of 2005. Available at: http://persmin.nic.in/RTI/
WelcomeRTI.htm.
178. Information provided to the author by Shekhar Singh, 13 November 2007.
179. Article 370 of the Constitution of India confers a “special status” on Jammu and
Kashmir State and Parliament may make laws for it only with the concurrence of that
State.
180. Available at: http://jkgad.nic.in/roi/JK-RTI-Act-2004.PDF.
181. See the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, adopted
16 September 2005 and the Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost)
(Amendment) Rules, 2005, adopted 27 October 2007. Both available at: http://persmin.
nic.in/RTI/WelcomeRTI.htm.
182. India does not have full whistleblower legislation but Resolution 89, adopted on 21
April 2004 by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, does provide
some protection to them.
183. Available at: http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Jamaica/jam62.html.
184. Available at: http://www.jis.gov.jm/special_sections/ATI/ATIACT.pdf.
185. Pursuant to the Access to Information (Amendment) Act, 2003, adopted in December
2003. Available at: http://www.jis.gov.jm/special_sections/ATI/Amendment.pdf.
See, in particular, new section 5(1). Regulations were adopted in 2003, providing
for implementation of various aspects of the Act. Available at: http://www.jis.gov.
jm/special_sections/ATI/regulations.pdf. References are to sections of the Act as
amended.
186. A Green Paper is an offi cial discussion document which allows for public input and
discussion prior to formalising policy proposals either in a White Paper or in draft
legislation.
187. According to Kati Suominen, the Law had been stalled for 11 years and passed after
extensive consultation with civil society. See Access to Information in Latin America and
the Caribbean, available at: http://www.juridicas.unam.mx/publica/librev/rev/comlawj/
cont/2/arc/arc2.pdf.
188. The Group has offi cial approval of its terms of reference from the Minister but otherwise
has no offi cial powers.
189. The report is available at: http://jard.gov.jm/ati/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_
view&Itemid=1&gid=70&orderby=dmdate_published&ascdesc=DESC.
190. Pursuant to section 30(4) of the Jamaican Interpretation Act, this means that a regulation
must be laid before both houses of parliament at the earliest possible opportunity
and either house may, within 21 days, annul the regulation. The phrase ‘subject to
affi rmative resolution’ means that the regulation shall not come into effect unless and
until it is affi rmed by a resolution of each house of parliament.
191. Act No. 20 of 1982. See section 10 of the Act. Available at: http://www.moj.gov.jm/
laws/statutes/The%20Archives%20Act.pdf.
192. See the review of the Jamaican Act in the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative’s
Spring 2006 Newsletter, available at: http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/
publications/nl/newsletter_spring_2006/article6.htm.
193. See note 189.
194. Available at: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/constitution_and_government/frame_
01.html.
195. See Repeta, Local Government Disclosure Systems in Japan, National Bureau of Asian
Research, Paper Number 16, October 1999, p. 3. One such case is: Supreme Court
Criminal Case Reporter, Vol. 22, No. 23 (1969), p. 1490 (the “Hakata Station Film
Case”).
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