Supreme Court Callenge to Silence on Anti-Corruption Measures
19 January 2010: Access Info's legal challenge against the failure of Spain’s Ministry of Justice to respond to citizens’ questions about measures to combat corruption reached the Supreme Court. Access Info is asking the Supreme Court to uphold the right of access to information.
Access Info described as “absurd” the need to turn to the Supreme Court to obtain a reply to a question about an important a subject as the fight against corruption. This situation underscores the urgent need to adopt an access to information law in Spain.
Reform of the European Court of Human Rights
Access Info has joined human rights groups from around Europe in calling for the European Court of Human Rights to be given the resources needed to function properly, but not at the expense of other Council of Europe human rights mechanisms.
This campaign is in response to planned reforms of the European Court of Human Rights, based in Strasbourg and representing 47 European member states and 800 million individuals. In more than 80% of rulings, states are found to have violated human rights. A letter signed by 150 organisations, calls for a better screening process for cases (about 90% of which are currently ruled are inadmissible) and improved translation and dissemination of the Court’s case law.
European Parliament Resolution on Reform of Access to Documents Rules
8 January 2010: Access Info welcomes a 17 December 2009 resolution by the European Parliament which calls for a strengthening of the EU Access to Documents Rules. See: European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2009 on improvements needed to the legal framework for access to documents following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. The Resolution calls for the main EU rules on access to documents (Regulation 1049/2001) to be strengthened and broadened in line with recognition of access to documents as a right under the Lisbon Treaty which entered into force on 1 December 2009.
Coalición Pro Acceso meets with Spanish Government
10 December 2009: On international human rights day, members of the Coalición Pro Acceso met with representatives of the Ministry of the Presidency to exchange opinions on a future Access to Information Law. They urged that this law clearly recognise the right to access to information as a fundamental right protected by the freedom of information provision of the Spanish Constitution (Article 20) and as recognized by the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The meeting lasted two hours and included a constructive and interesting exchange of views. The Department of Legal Coordination is considering that the draft should meet the standards set in the “9 Principles” developed by the Coalición Pro Acceso.
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