The free access of the public to information contained in government records. In many liberal democracies freedom of information is considered the hallmark of open government. Introduction of freedom of information acts in the United States and in continental Europe led to three major reforms in the United Kingdom. Under the 1986 Local Government (Access to Information) Act local government records are available within a short period. Under the 1998 Data Protection Act (reforming previous legislation) individuals have a right of access to their personal information held on all public authority files. Under the 2000 Freedom of Information Act the public has a broader statutory right of access to information from government and public authorities. Primary legislative devolution means that separate legislation is likely to apply to Scotland.
Despite such developments, the principle of administrative secrecy that was established in the UK during the period of absolute monarchy remains influential. Governments have generally established control over access to information by resort to the sovereignty of Parliament and parliamentary privilege. The spirit of the 2000 Act is no exception. It has several areas of blanket exemptions, including defence, national security, international relations, commercial security, and government policy-making. Government also may be expected in practice to take a restrictive approach to disclosure. Schemes setting out the information that public authorities would publish as a matter of course were delayed until 2002. Implementation of the statutory right to request government information may be delayed as long as 2005. The Act created an Information Commissioner, who could adjudicate on decisions to withhold public information, but had no power to compel disclosure.
Disclosure of information is further constrained by the 1989 Official Secrets Act, and other statutes. Civil servants are not allowed to keep diaries, and under civil service rules are bound to keep their work confidential. Information is otherwise disclosed under the public records acts, under which only a selection of the records of central government are available and then only after thirty years. That there have been developments in freedom of information reflects its importance to liberal democracy. Differences in national practice, however, reflect competing conceptions of liberal democracy, and disagreement over what freedom of information is supposed to achieve.
— Jonathan Bradbury
