The Prime Minister’s Office rejected a Freedom of Information request from the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation for a crucial expert report on media protection. This committee was originally established to address recommendations following journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination and to review relevant legislation, highlighting the urgent need for systemic safeguards against violence against the press. The foundation argues that the refusal violates the committee’s own terms of reference, which mandated prompt public disclosure. By withholding the document despite clear deadlines, the government demonstrates a lack of transparency in processes designed to correct the institutional failures that enabled the journalist’s murder. This opacity undermines public trust and accountability in governance. This situation is vital to open data advocates as it illustrates how governments may misuse FOI exemptions to conceal critical policy documents. It underscores the necessity of robust transparency laws and civic pressure to ensure that reports influencing public safety and legislative reform remain accessible, thereby preventing future atrocities through informed public scrutiny.
Source: independent.com.mtPublished on 2023-08-26
Related news
- Loudoun County supervisor deflects FOIA request seeking photos from taxpayer-funded trip
- Why the right to privacy is incompatible with the right to information
- Senate Bill 83 'continues to raise serious concerns' for higher education
- Orden judicial urge al Senado a nombrar comisionados pendientes del Inai