Access to Information Country Study - United Kingdom

Abstract

This paper looks into the legal framework of the United Kingdom in relation to access to information and describes the role of the relevant institutions, their structure, their functioning, their level of accountability and their review mechanisms. Furthermore, this paper analyses the practical implementation of the legal standards in the UK and illustrates a few cases that identify the major problems and challenges as well as the major areas of concern in relation to access to information. Finally, this paper takes a look at the the role played civil society in the UK in the adoption of a Freedom of Information Act and in monitoring its effective implementation.