Fundamental right of access to information strengthened by ECHR ruling
Madrid, 27 June 2013 - Access Info Europe welcomes the recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights which further strengthens the right of access to information held by public bodies.A summary of the ruling
The ECHR ruled on the case between 'Youth Initiative for Human Rights vs. the Republic of Serbia' about the refusal of the Serbian intelligence agency to provide the NGO with certain information concerning electronic surveillance, despite a final and binding decision in favour of disclosure by the Serbian Information Commissioner in 2005.In coming to its decision, the ECHR referred to declarations by the UN Committee on Human Rights, as well as quoting the Joint Declaration by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, "The right to access information held by public authorities is a fundamental human right which should be given effect at the national level through comprehensive legislation (for example Freedom of Information Acts) based on the principle of maximum disclosure, establishing a presumption that all information is accessible subject only to a narrow system of exceptions."