{"id":173755,"date":"2017-02-10T18:05:53","date_gmt":"2017-02-10T12:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=173755"},"modified":"2017-02-10T18:05:53","modified_gmt":"2017-02-10T12:35:53","slug":"sri-lankas-rti-rating-jumps-to-third-place-globally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/sri-lankas-rti-rating-jumps-to-third-place-globally\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka’s RTI Rating Jumps To Third Place Globally"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sri Lanka\u2019s Right to Information<\/a> (RTI) global rating has jumped from 9th<\/sup> to 3rd<\/sup> place with the recent gazetting of the RTI Commission\u2019s Rules on Fees and Appeals as well as the Regulations under the Act.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Toby Mendel<\/p><\/div>\n

Issuing a statement today, the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD, Canada) which monitors the ratings of RTI laws around the world, said that this was \u2018impressive.\u2019 Commending the RTI Commission and Sri Lanka, Toby Mendel<\/a>, Executive Director of CLD pointed out that \u201ccountries often go up a few points on the RTI Rating when they adopt Rules and Regulations.\u2019 But this was a notable achievement for a country \u2018which already had a very strong score\u2019 globally, he said.<\/p>\n

The RTI Commission comprises retired public servant Mahinda Gammanpila (Chair), well known RTI advocate Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena, retired President of the Court of Appeal AWA Salam, Dr Selvy Thiruchandran and attorney S.G. Punchihewa<\/p>\n

The Rules and Regulations added a full ten points to Sri Lanka\u2019s already strong score of 121 points out of a possible total of 150 on the RTI Rating. Sri Lanka now achieves a new score of 131 points and boasts the third strongest legal framework for RTI in the world and the strongest in South Asia, going even beyond India.<\/p>\n

The gazetted Regulations include the RTI Commission\u2019s proposals to tighten proactive disclosure duties of Public Authorities bound by the Sri Lanka\u2019s RTI Act, specify criteria for the appointments of information officers and explicitly allow all information obtained under the RTI Act to be reused.<\/p>\n

The CLD has pointed to key improvements including that Public Authorities are required to transfer requests to other authorities where they do not hold requested information, clarification of the Commission\u2019s Rules on Fees which are progressive and the introduction of the open reuse of information. The power of the Commission to order Public Authorities to improve their general responses to information requests as well as ensure that training are provided to information officers are further factors.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka now faces the challenging task of implementing its strong legal framework for the right to information. The CLD has called on the Ministry, public authorities and the RTI Commission to ensure that this happens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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