Freedom of Information Prevails

The HCLU has won the lawsuit against the Government Control Office. The Office must make its reports public. Click away for more!

The HCLU has initiated a lawsuit against the Government Control Office (GCO), to make public their report analyzing the failure on the reform of the public administration.

In May, 2007, the Metropolitan Court has dismissed the HCLU’s action on the liberty to appeal. According to the ruling, GCO is considered a state organization which has an idependent legal personality and is structurally seperated from the cabinet, it’s activity is specifically aimed at supporting the government in decision-making procedures, therefore the reports to the government already completed and delivered are not public.

The HCLU has appealed the decision. Today, the Budapest Metropolitan Highest Court in its final verdict has established, that the requested data are not preparatory documents for decision making. Thus, the GCO has 15 days to issue the documents. The decision means that GCO documents previously inaccessible, are now considered public interest data. Today’s is a significant ruling and an important victory for Freedom of Information cases.

Share

Related articles

Why was the search of the whistleblower’s home unlawful?

In November, 2013 András Horváth, former staff member of the Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration turned to the public with his information on companies committing VAT fraud with the assistance of the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV). The whistleblower decided to seek publicity after several unsuccessful attempts to raise the issue within the Administration and the government. The revelations resulted in huge media coverage and created an unresolved political scandal ever since.

Government closing in on freedom of information

On 30 of April, 2013, in an extraordinary process within 24 hours, the Hungarian Parliament adopted an amendment to the Act CXII of 2011 on the Right of Informational Self-Determination and Freedom of Information. The amendment is under the procedure of promulgation, it will be published in a couple of days and will enter into force on the day following the day of its publication.

Government to Abolish Regulation on Lobbying – the Anti-corruption Institutions are About to Weaken

The draft Bill on Social Participation will repeal the now operative law on lobbying. This proposed measure would lead to an increase in oppurtunities for corruption by curtailing the transparency of public decision-making.