Seminar on current developments in FOI in Scotland

The final speakers for the next seminar at the Centre for Freedom of Information in Scotland, have been confirmed. Dr Will Dinan and Kate Spence will share findings from the most recent phase of their research into the uptake of FOI by civil society. The qualitative research included interviews with voluntary organisations, public authority staff and campaigners. The three-year project aims to improve understanding of the issues facing the voluntary sector in their use of FOI.

The event takes place at the Dundee School of Law on Wednesay 7 September 2011, from 13:00 to 16:00. Other speakers confirmed already are Fiona Killen, the Commissioner’s external legal advisor, who will give a comprehensive update on key issues facing FOI in Scotland today, and Hugh Hagan, who worked on the Public Records Bill team and will discuss the implications the new records legislation for FOI.

Why should you attend?

The seminar offers a cost effective “one stop shop” to get up to speed with a wide range of policy and legislative issues which affect FOI in Scotland - FOI practitioners and users alike. It’s the first general update seminar the Centre has held since October 2010. It’s also an opportunity to engage in interactive debate with the speakers and with each other.

A booking form is available here, or simply email Donna Hendry at the School of Law on centrefoi@dundee.ac.uk.

Free seminar: Access to information? … There’s a website for that!

The Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion, is chairing a free seminar at the Festival of Politics in Edinburgh on 26th August. Titled “Access to information? … There’s a website for that!”, the event will cover how new media make it easier for people to ask for information, and how they have led to the creation of new kinds of information using government data.

Attendees will hear from local Edinburgh man, Michael Traill, who became interested in FOI when asking Lothian and Borders police for information some years ago, and now regularly makes FOI requests online. There will also be live demonstrations of websites which take raw government data and use it to provide new and useful services for the public.

The event will round up with a chance to discuss the issues raised with a panel including the Commissioner and speakers, chaired by Kirstie Shirra, a freelance campaigner who started out on her career as Scotland's only full time FOI lobbyist, when she was at Friends of the Earth Scotland.

To book a free place visit www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk or call 0131 473 2000.

Friday 26 August 2011, 13:30 to 14:30, in Committee Room 3, The Scottish Parliament

Seminar on how to deal with vexatious requests

The Centre for Freedom of Information in Scotland’s autumn seminar series continues with an event on Wednesday 17 November 2010, looking at how to deal with vexatious requests.  The event will be in the Dalhousie building, University of Dundee.  A buffet lunch is served at 1pm, and the seminar will run from 2pm to 4pm.  Speakers are:

• Jane Munro, Junior Counsel, Ampersand.  Jane will share her thoughts on the various legal perspectives of ‘vexatious’ in civil litigation. What does it mean in the wider context, and how does its specific meaning within the FOI Act in Scotland compare?   
• Maurice Frankel, Director of the Campaign for FOI – Maurice is travelling up from England to share his thoughts on the Commissioner’s decisions which relate to section 14 of FOISA, ‘Vexatious or repeated requests’  
•  Valerie Malloch, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.  The SPSO has undertaken work looking at how to deal with difficult behaviour in the complaints process.  Valerie will share their current thinking and practical thoughts for discussion, and look at where FOI fits into this bigger picture.

Why should you attend this seminar?

• This is a topic which past delegates tell us is of particular interest to them.  We seek to add direct and current value to ensure that attendance is worthwhile in these difficult economic times; 
•  The seminars provide access to some of Scotland and the UK’s biggest experts in FOI and other related matters; 
• Sessions are intentionally brief, focused and audiences relatively small, to ensure that delegates get the greatest personal benefit from attending.

The full programme for this seminar is available from www.centrefoi.org.uk/. If you would like to attend, please email centrefoi@dundee.ac.uk or download and post the booking form to Donna Hendry, School of Law, Scrymgeour Building, University of Dundee DD1 4HN.

World Press Freedom Day 3 May 2010

UNESCO will celebrate World Press Freedom Day, observed yearly on May 3, with an international conference of media professionals entitled Freedom of Information: the Right to Know, in Brisbane on 2 and 3 May. In a message UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said:

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, enshrined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But around the world, there are Governments and those wielding power who find many ways to obstruct it.
...
This year’s theme is freedom of information: the right to know. I welcome the global trend towards new laws which recognize the universal right to publicly held information.

Unfortunately, these new laws do not always translate into action. Requests for official information are often refused, or delayed, sometimes for years. At times, poor information management is to blame. But all too often, this happens because of a culture of secrecy and a lack of accountability.

We must work to change attitudes and to raise awareness. People have a right to information that affects their lives, and States have a duty to provide this information. Such transparency is essential to good government.

The United Nations stands with persecuted journalists and media professionals everywhere. Today, as every day, I call on Governments, civil society and people around the world to recognize the important work of the media, and to stand up for freedom of information.

The conference programme is available to download here. The conference will be streamed live on the internet - http://www.wpfd2010.org/

Reflected Glory? - Freedom of Information in Scotland

The lectures given by Kevin Dunion, Scottish Information Commissioner and Natasa Pirc Musar, Slovenian Information Commission, at a Centre for FOI seminar on 5 June 2009 can be downloaded here.

FOI Live 2009 presentations and recordings

The presentations and recordings from yesterday's FOI Live conference are now on The Constitution Unit's website.

Information Commissioner calls for instinctive culture of openness

In one of his last speeches as Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas will urge Whitehall and the public sector to learn the lessons from the MPs’ expenses scandal by routinely publishing more official information without waiting to be asked.

A press release about the Commissioner's speech at the FOI Live conference can be accessed here.

Richard Thomas's presentation at 'Private Data, Open Government' conference

Richard Thomas's presentation to the conference the ICO hosted on 13 May 2009 is now available to download.

Private Data, Open Government: Questions of Information - 13 May 2009

As he prepares to stand down as Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas hosted conference at the QEII Centre in Westminster on 13 May, to take stock of progress with Freedom of Information and Data Protection. The conference saw a high-level policy focused discussion on the contribution of open government and privacy protection, standing back from immediate preoccupations to look at the underlying policy issues and challenges for the future.

Over 200 high-level stakeholders attended and BBC journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby hosted an ‘Any Questions?’ panel session considering issues such as:

What part do Freedom of Information and Data Protection now play in the democratic process?
What are the real benefits and problems of Open Government?
How should the lines be drawn between Security and Privacy?

Richard Thomas offered his reflections on his time as Information Commissioner before the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice delivered the keynote speech.

The panelists included Peter Fleischer (Global Privacy Counsel, Google), Shami Chakrabarti (Director, Liberty), Dominic Grieve MP (Shadow Justice Secretary), Alan Beith MP (Chair of the Justice Select Committee), Ian Readhead (Director of Information for the Association of Chief Police Officers Criminal Records Office) Roger Smith (Director, Justice) and Matthew Taylor (Chief Executive, Royal Society of Arts).

Click here to view Richard Thomas’s slide presentation.

"A shock to the system: Journalism, Government and the FOI Act"

Seminar : Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism : May 20th 2009, 5.00pm

“A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM: Journalism , Government and the Freedom of Information Act 2000”

Jeremy Hayes of BBC Radio 4’s ‘The World Tonight’ presents a progress report on the Freedom of Information Act with Jon Ungoed-Thomas, Chief reporter, The Sunday Times and Steve Wood, Assistant Information Commissioner

Venue : RISJ , 13 Norham Gardens ,Oxford OX2 6PS . Open admission.

Northumbria University Centre for Information Rights Law seminar

An Update of Recent Decisions of the Information Commissioner and Tribunal

Wednesday 6 May 2009 from 12.30 – 4.00 pm, including lunch

This seminar is being hosted by the Northumbria University Centre for Information Rights Law and Practice. The focus of the session is to provide practitioners and academics with a detailed look at some of the most interesting decisions coming from the Information Commissioner, the Information Tribunal and the courts over the last 12 months.

If you require further information or wish to attend this seminar please contact Maureen Cooke at maureen.cooke@northumbria.ac.uk or telephone 0191 243 7597.

Fees: £40.00
Venue: Northumbria University, Room 007, City Campus East, Newcastle upon Tyne

Centre for FOI forthcoming lecture by Kevin Dunion

FINAL SEMINAR IN SPRING SERIES

Friday 5 June (previously advertised for Thursday 28 May)

14:00 – 16:00
Dalhousie Building (2G11, Lecture Theatre 4)
University of Dundee

Lecture: “Reflected Glory? How does Scotland stand in the world of FOI?”
Kevin Dunion, Scottish Information Commissioner

Respondent: “How does Slovenia stand in the world of FOI?”
Natasa Pirc, Slovenian Information Commissioner

Debate chaired by Rosalind McInnes, Principal Solicitor, BBC Scotland

http://www.centrefoi.org.uk/seminars.htm

International Conference of Information Commissioners

The 5th International Conference of Information Commissioners is taking place this week in Wellington. Details of the programme can be found on the ICIC 2007 website, together with abstracts and papers for the open sessions (day one was a closed session for commissioners only)

Holyrood Magazine’s 5th Freedom of Information Conference

A Culture of Openness: Freedom of Information moving into a new era
25 October 2007, Edinburgh

Chair:
Iain Macwhirter, Journalist and Political commentator

Keynote Speakers:
Kevin Dunion, Scottish Information Commissioner
Maurice Frankel, Director, Campaign for Freedom of Information
Marie Anderson, Assistant Information Commissioner, Northern Ireland
Rob Evans, Investigative Journalist, The Guardian

This conference will examine the next challenge for Freedom of Information under the new administration at Holyrood. How will the public’s right to information change, what is the potential for extending the range of organisations covered and how can public authorities better develop their response?

Full details here.