Official: Britain is the new China
Aug 31, 2006 FOI in the news, Justice & Courts
Not for the first time, Americans are more informed about the British terrorist threat than the Brits. The latest victim of the UK’s patronising and elitist Contempt of Court law is the suppression of an article about the recent terror arrests that appeared in Monday’s edition of the New York Times: Details Emerge in British [...]
FOI a ‘waste’ while propaganda budget soars
Aug 31, 2006 Central Government, FOI in the news
It was only last month that Charlie Falconer, the Minister in charge of freedom of information, claimed the law was a waste of taxpayers’ money and as such fees must be slapped on any member of the public foolish enough to ask questions of politicians.
Now we learn the true hypocrisy of this bogus [...]
FOI offers the radical change needed
Aug 31, 2006 Uncategorized
This week I read the results of a poll conducted by the Taxpayers Alliance. One of the key findings is that the public holds politicians and the current political system in contempt:
“All debate about alternatives is tainted by this general contempt and hopelessness: people cannot imagine any political force that reverses decline since they [...]
Secrecy over Chequers dinner dates
Aug 31, 2006 Central Government, FOI in the news
Again this Government is doing what it does best: going backwards not forwards. One of the first disclosures after the Right to Know law was enacted 1 January 2005 was the list of guests who dined at the Prime Minister’s Chequers residence. The list included a whole range of luminaries from the editor of [...]
Open Government Journal
Aug 22, 2006 Access Laws
The latest version of Steve Wood’s Open Government Journal is now online. It contains a particularly interesting article written by Paul Kelly, a former Canadian FOI Officer, about all the tricks used to block requests – some lessons for those of us encountering similarly obstructive UK officials.
Open Government: a journal on freedom of [...]
FOI improves public confidence in authorities
Aug 20, 2006 FOI in the news
Freedom of information creates more confidence, research reveals
eGov monitor
The Freedom of Information Act is clearly increasing people’s confidence in public authorities, according to new research published by the Information Commissioner’s Office.
The findings show that 72% of individuals have more confidence in public authorities because of freedom of information, compared with only 55% in spring 2005, [...]
Article: Future of investigative reporting
Aug 18, 2006 Articles
Investigate!
The Journalist magazine, August/September 2006 issue
New techniques of accessing data online could lead to a revival of serious and challenging investigative reporting. HEATHER BROOKE reports from a London conference that highlighted the possibilities of computer-assisted reporting
Fact is more expensive than fiction, and with journalism now a business like any other, in-depth reporters are finding themselves [...]
Article: Access denied to the laws that govern us
Aug 17, 2006 Articles, Justice & Courts
I’ve written an article for the Guardian’s Free Our Data campaign that appeared in today’s paper:
Access denied to the laws that govern us
The Guardian, Technology August 17, 2006
By Heather Brooke
Shhh – don’t pass it on. It’s the kind of secrecy one might expect for a database of proposed nuclear reactors or plans to [...]
Where can you find the law?
Aug 17, 2006 Articles, Justice & Courts
The most accurate and comprehensive sources for British law all cost money – and lots of it.
LexisNexis and Sweet & Maxwell (Westlaw): These are the only two private sector publishers that provide a substantially comprehensive set of consolidated legislation. Out of reach for all but the wealthiest law firms.
Halsbury’s Statutes: Available in hard copy or [...]
In today’s police state news…
Aug 15, 2006 Law Enforcement
** Police push for ‘instant justice’ **
Police may press for more powers to penalise anti-social activities without having to go through the courts.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/uk/4793117.stm
