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Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton attended a conference in Ukraine last week to develop a framework to balance information and security concerns for countries operating under martial law.  The commissioner responded to concerns of non-compliance by Ukrainian public authorities by

Freedom of information is important according to the vast majority of respondents to a survey by the Scottish Information Commissioner. The research also found strong public support for the reform of FOI law in certain areas, including the extension of the law to cover new bodies such as provid

The Scottish Information Commissioner has launched an Intervention into the Scottish ministers’ practices in relation to use and retention of WhatsApp and other informal communication messages. Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton said: “My office has launched an Intervention

A private members' bill to extend Scotland's freedom of information (FOI) regime has reached a significant milestone with the lodging of a final proposal at Holyrood. The Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill, proposed by Scottish Labour MSP Katy Clark, aims to modernise FOI and extend desig

The Scottish government’s proposals to reform freedom of information (FOI) are “weak, timid and far from what the public is calling for”, Scottish Labour MSP Katy Clark has said. Publishing its response to last year’s consultation yesterday, the Scottish government has ruled

Scotland's FOI watchdog has suggested it could take action against the Scottish government if WhatsApp messages sent during the pandemic have not been retained. Ministers have come under pressure after the UK Covid Inquiry found that they had failed to hand over any communications.

In his final report before stepping down as the Scottish information commissioner, Daren Fitzhenry published a report on the progress made by the Scottish government on improving its performance when responding to freedom of information (FOI) requests. The report is published as part of the commissi

Scottish Labour MSP Katy Clark has today called on the Scottish government to “finally step up” and strengthen the public’s enforceable right to information, as International Right to Know Day (IRKD) is observed across the globe. She also confirmed the final proposal for her Freedo

Following the BBC Disclosure programme investigating how a Scottish lawyer now convicted on historic child abuse charges ‘hid’ his crimes for decades, the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland has urged the Scottish government to reform the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act

The Scottish Information Commissioner has reported a significant increase in the number of appeals made from people who are unhappy with a Scottish public authority’s handling of a freedom of information (FOI) request. The commissioner’s latest report reveals that, during 2021-22, he rec

Scottish Labour MSP Katy Clark has today published a consultation on her member’s bill for the reform of Scotland's widely criticised freedom of information regime. The Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill aims to extend freedom of information (FOI) legislation to cover all organisati

The Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland is urging MSPs to amend the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill in order to address a transparency and accountability deficit. The bill only makes the umbrella body, the Care Board, subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FoISA

On the 20th anniversary of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) receiving Royal Assent, organisations from across Scotland have voiced their support for legal reform and for the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland’s draft bill to improve the law. The CFOIS Bill pr

Scotland’s freedom of information (FOI) commissioner has told the Scottish government to take urgent action to rectify “significant and systemic” failures in the FOI system. Daren Fitzhenry said he found “a number of areas where performance and practice fell short” desp

Yesterday marked 20 years since the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FoISA) was passed by MSPs. The vision for the new law was set out in An Open Scotland, the 1999 Scottish Executive consultation where the then deputy first minister, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, said: “At the heart