Slovakia

[SK] Act on Access to Information Passed

IRIS 2000-7:1/35

Eleonora Bobáková

Department of International Relations Council for Broadcasting and Retransmission Slovakia

On 17 May 2000, the Slovak Parliament adopted the Act on Free Access to Information. A group of Slovak parliament members had submitted the draft of this Lex specialis last year. It was aimed at transposing the main philosophy of the principle of the right to informationas enshrined in Chapter III/Political Rights, Article 26 of Ústava Slovenskej republiky (the Constitution of Slovakia) and in the Act No. 460/1992 Collection of Laws - into the relations of the public with state administrative and self-governmental bodies. "Everyone has the right to seek information and to disseminate it freely. The right to information can be restricted only in cases set out in legislation" says the preamble of the new Act.

The state administration will be obliged to make public information on its activities so that the information becomes accessible to everyone interested.

The Act on Access to Information provides the right to access even documents relating to pending administrative procedures. The public discussion on this matter, in which powerful NGOs participated, persuaded deputies to adopt this provision without any limitations with regard to the appearance of documents and their suitability for publication. The Act is to enter into force in six months.