The sorry state of access to information

The sorry state of access to information

By Dean Jobb

March 27 2009 issue

Amid the flood of inspiring words in Barack Obama’s inaugural address as president of the U.S. was a line about openness and accountability that should be a wake-up call to government leaders and bureaucrats in this country.

“Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account to spend wisely,” Obama declared, “and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”

Obama put those words into action on his first day in office, ordering federal agencies to treat government information as “a national asset” and to administer freedom of information legislation in a way that ensures the timely release of as much information as possible. “In the face of doubt,” notes one directive, “openness prevails.”

But in the face of this abrupt shift toward greater openness south of the border, too often Ottawa and provincial governments take an outmoded, haughty “you-can’t-handle-the-truth” approach to access to information. And that’s when government officials finally get around to replying to those seeking information.

FULL ARTICLE

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Access to information: law and reality miles apart

Access to information: law and reality miles apart
By Dean Jobb
Halifax
Lawyers Weekly
March 06 2009 issue

Imagine a lawyer heading into court to argue a case without being able to read the court file or the documents being entered as evidence.

Now imagine a journalist trying to produce an accurate news story about a case without being allowed to review the file or see the exhibits.

Lawyers get to see the file, of course, but that’s not the case for reporters in many jurisdictions as court officials deny access based on outdated precedents and flawed legal interpretations that critics say undermine the principle of open justice.

There’s a growing chorus of complaint that access to key court documents — informations setting out criminal charges, exhibits tendered during trials, youth court dockets — has become increasingly restrictive, despite a growing body of Charter jurisprudence that demands greater openness. Understaffed court offices and lack of training for front-line officials compound the problem.

“You have to go through hoops — very time-consuming and expensive hoops — in a lot of cases” to get access, complains Tracey Tyler, The Toronto Star’s legal affairs reporter, who has been covering the courts for two decades.

FULL ARTICLE

Journalist to continue fight for free press in China

Journalist to continue fight for free press in China
February 09, 2009
DEBRA BLACK
STAFF REPORTER

For investigative journalist Jiang Weiping, who was charged with subversion in the People's Republic of China and served a six-year term in prison, the idea of press freedom is much more than a lofty principle. It is something he hopes will one day become a fact of life in his homeland.
"Under the current political system in China, the job of a journalist is a high-risk one," Jiang said in his native Mandarin through a translator at a PEN news conference at Massey College in downtown Toronto Monday.

"It takes enormous courage to speak out against those in power, but this is no excuse for media workers to ignore their duty," he said. "A free press is an effective means of preventing officials from abusing their power, and is also vital in advancing social development. A healthy civil society not only enshrines freedom of expression but also welcomes dissenting opinions."

FULL ARTICLE

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