Freedom of Information won again - Budapest Police Department’s CCTV system data will be accessible

On 7 Nov, 2006 the Court of the Capitol obligated the Budapest Police Department (BPD) to let HCLU access the data requested in May, 2004.

HCLU’s data request questionnaire consisted of eighty-questions, addressed to each Capitol districts’ police chiefs. The questions were referring to CCTV camera systems in public spaces: technical details, legal and economic background, people’s attitude towards them, system control, staff qualification.

The questions were mostly answered by chief of the office of BPD. Since some of the questions remained unanswered HCLU gone to court in order to access those public interest data.
The trial took place at the Court of the Capitol. According to the court of appeal’s verdict BPD has to make the following requested public interest data public:

- CCTV systems’ operational figures
- the system-related efficiency study
- camera location map
- system-related contracts and agreements with local governments
- signs indicating camera location
- system enlargement plans

The Court of the Capitol found the denial of system-related measures, instructions and various regulations grounded.

The defendant has to make the above mentioned data available in 15 days.

 

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