Bence Gáspár Tamás, journalist of index.hu requested access to data on investments related to Metro Line 4, including data on direct and indirect effects on employment and information on environmental effects.
He also requested public interest data that is necessary in order to prove that medium-term economic and social benefits are in proportion with the spend funds. The Capitol Municipality refused access to the requested data, therefore the journalist has initiated legal proceedings. The HCLU will take on the legal representation of the journalist at Court on January 31st.
In the summer of 2006, the HCLU turned to the Ministry of Economy and Transportation and the Ministry of Justice and Law Enforcement requesting public interest data on the billions worth of contracts between the ministries and Microsoft.
HCLU, Védegylet and Energia Klub has written a letter to Mr. Zoltán Lomnici, Chairman of Supreme Court, we disapproved slowness the judicial proceedings according to the failure of Paks Nuclear Power Plant’s block nr. 2.
In yet another assault on freedom of expression and information, the Hungarian government adopted a new Constitution on Monday 18 April which will abolish independent oversight of the public’s right to know.