Freedom of Information Law: 5 years

Seminar commemorates anniversary of FOI Law with examples of its impact

The debate “A Freedom of Information Law for the Brazil of Tomorrow” is an open invitation for a critical commemoration of the 5th anniversary of the Freedom of Information Law (FOI law). Organized by Article 19, Abraji (Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism), Conectas and Transparency Brazil, the seminar will be attended by experts, civil society representatives and public officials.

This year, the event will include a special contest: organizations and citizens may enter their projects and content developed using information obtained through the FOI law. Five cases will be selected to form one of the event’s panels.

Entries may be submitted using this form, until April 30.

The contest is open to any individual or institution that, using data obtained through the Freedom of Information Law, has contributed to the disclosure of material information, to social participation and social control and/or to the defense of human rights.

The selected participants will be responsible for their own transport and accommodation if they are not from São Paulo.

FOI law, 5 years

Five years ago, after intense debates and pressure from civil society, Law No. 12.527/2011 was approved and come into effect on May 16, 2012. The law regulates the right of access to information, reaffirming what is already enshrined in article 5 of the Brazilian Constitution: that all persons have the right to receive from public bodies information of their own personal interest or of collective or general interest.

Although the text of the law is quite advanced, in practice the application of the law by the Executive, Legislative and, in particular, the Judiciary does not come close to the expected level of transparency.

What, therefore, does the future hold for the FOI law and what can be done to effectively guarantee access by society to information of its interest?

A number of important projects and reports recently developed by the organizers using the FOI law will be presented at the event, such as the “Lost and Found” project, the result of a partnership between Abraji and Transparency Brazil; and the annual report by Article 19 on the application of the Freedom of Information Law, based on 5 symbolic cases.