Category Archives: News
Key Stakeholders Pledge to Work Together for RTI in Myanmar
On 12 November, representatives from a dozen NGOs met for a workshop in Yangon on the right to information (RTI) in Myanmar. The workshop, which was hosted by the Local Resource Centre and the Centre for Law and Democracy in collaboration with International Media Support, culminated in a joint Statement stressing the importance of RTI … Continue reading
Maldives: Failing to Protect Journalists
The Centre for Law and Democracy has sent a letter to His Excellency President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives calling on his government to do more to fulfil its obligation to protect journalists and the media. The immediate focus of the letter is the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan, missing since 8 August … Continue reading
100 RTI Laws: Much to celebrate but still a long way to go
Sweden passed the world’s first access to information law in 1766 but it took nearly two hundred years for the next law to be adopted, by Finland in 1951. The pace has picked up a bit since then, and this month the world celebrated a milestone, as Paraguay’s Law for Citizens’ Free Access to Public … Continue reading
Civil Society Calls for Transparency at European Investment Bank
A coalition of eighteen civil society organisations, including the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), has submitted an analysis and set of recommendations to the European Investment Bank (EIB) on its draft revised EIB Group Transparency Policy. The proposed changes would substantially undermine openness at the EIB, among other things by limiting the scope of … Continue reading
Canada: Bold Action Needed on Open Government
The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) has responded to the consultation on Canada’s second Open Government Partnership (OGP) Action Plan by calling on the government to commit to clear and ambitious measures to advance transparency across the public sector. CLD’s Submission to Canada’s Open Government Consultations points to problems with both the consultation process … Continue reading
Kenyans Deserve a Robust Right to Information System
CLD today released an Analysis of the draft Kenyan Freedom of Information Bill, 2014, which found that, although the draft is relatively robust, it is significantly weaker than the version which was proposed in 2012. The biggest change is the decision to scrap the dedicated oversight body, the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Commission, … Continue reading
Congo: CLD Urges Speedy Passage of Right to Information Law
CLD has issued a letter to MPs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) urging speedy passage of the proposed Law on Access to Information (Loi sur l’accès à l’information). Although the right to information is protected under DRC’s 2006 constitution, this law would for the first time give practical effect to that guarantee. Click … Continue reading
Morocco: CLD Urges Government to Improve Draft RTI Law
CLD has prepared an analysis of the latest version of Morocco’s draft right to information (RTI) law, Draft Law No. 31.13 on the Right of Access to Information. An assessment of the draft Law using the RTI Rating assessment tool (www.RTI-Rating.org) shows that the draft is substantially weaker than the draft published in August 2013. … Continue reading
Report on Surveillance and International Standards Launched
The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) and Global Partners Digital are launching a new publication, Travel Guide to the Digital World: Surveillance and International Standards, aimed at helping Internet users understand digital surveillance and its human rights implications. The report, part of the Travel Guide to the Digital World series, is designed to be … Continue reading
CLD Calls for Bold Improvements to Newfoundland Access Law
Yesterday, Michael Karanicolas testified on behalf of the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) before an independent panel reviewing Newfoundland and Labrador’s Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (ATIPPA), presenting CLD’s formal Submission to the review. Premier Marshall has stated that he wants an access law which would “rank among the best” internationally. … Continue reading
Myanmar: Media Lawyers Agree to Form Network
Earlier this week a group of lawyers in Myanmar with an interest in media law came to an important decision: to form the Myanmar Media Lawyers’ Network. The decision was made at a workshop for media lawyers, the third such meeting facilitated by the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) and International Media Support (IMS), … Continue reading
Draft Bangladesh Law Allows Government Control Over NGO Funds
The Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) have sent a letter to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, the Honourable Sheikh Hasina, urging her government to reconsider passage of the proposed Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act, 2014 (the Bill). The Bill would grant the NGO Affairs Bureau, a department under the … Continue reading
UNEP: Practice What You Preach
On 6 June 2014, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) adopted its first ever Access-to-Information Policy, giving individuals a right to access the information it holds. The event was unimpressive not only for its tardiness – the World Bank adopted its first access to information policy in 1994 – but also for the surprisingly weak … Continue reading
East Timor: Media Law Raises Serious Concerns
In East Timor, as in many States emerging from long periods of undemocratic rule, unprofessional reporting by journalists is a widespread problem. A Media Law adopted in May of this year by the National Assembly, which is currently awaiting Presidential signature, was justified in part as being necessary to address this problem. Comments on the … Continue reading
Hungary: Stop Harassing Civil Society
The Centre for Law and Democracy notes with concern continuing moves by the Hungarian government to restrict the ability of NGOs to operate and to receive funding, including from foreign sources. The actions of the government, which include apparently politically motivated audits of organisations which disburse Norwegian funding, are a clear breach of the right … Continue reading
Letter Calling for the Release of Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa
Centre for Law and Democracy notes with concern that Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa, a prominent human rights defender, has been detained by the Burundian government. Mr. Mbonimpa has been charged with spreading false rumours to incite the population to rise up against the authorities, threatening external security and forgery. The charges stem from a radio broadcast in … Continue reading
Short Notes Outline International Standards on Criminal Content Restrictions
In many countries, criminal restrictions on the content of what may be published or broadcast seriously undermine respect for the right to freedom of expression. Often they ban far too much speech in the first place while in other cases they are drafted in vague terms which render them susceptible of overbroad application. The Centre … Continue reading
Newfoundland Needs Strong Whistleblower Protection
Newfoundland and Labrador’s government has introduced a bill to protect those who expose serious wrongdoing and threats, i.e. whistleblowers, but is seeking to maintain a veil of secrecy around the Cabinet, even in the context of potentially criminal behaviour. The exception for cabinet documents was one of the key problems identified in an analysis released … Continue reading
EU Expression Guidelines Fail to Recognise the Right to Information
On 12 May 2014, the Council of the European Union adopted the EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression: Online and Offline (Guidelines). The initiative to adopt the Guidelines, which provide “political and operational guidance” to EU staff regarding this important area of EU foreign policy and assistance, is welcome. At the same time, … Continue reading
International Mandates: Universality and Freedom of Expression
Today, the 17th annual Joint Declaration by the four specialised mandates tasked with promoting and protecting freedom of expression at the UN, OAS, OSCE and African Commission was launched in Paris, France. This latest Declaration, prepared with the assistance of the Centre for Law and Democracy and ARTICLE 19, highlights issues relating to the universality … Continue reading