If a request for information is made to the Public Authority and the Information Officer refuses to provide the information other than the exceptions provided by law, or if he / she is not satisfied with his / her response, he / she may appeal to the Designated Officer in the same Public Authority. If the Designated Officer does not respond to the appeal or is dissatisfied with his / her response, he / she may appeal to the Right to Information Commission.
What is the Right to Information Commission? The question may arise as to how this will respond to our request.
The Right to Information Commission oversees the activities of the Right to Information Act and oversees whether the public authorities are fulfilling their duties prescribed under the Act. Also, the activities of this commission are independent and transparent. The Commission has the power to provide guidelines for the better implementation of the law and to prosecute or appeal in its name if the law is violated.
The Commission will consist of 5 members. Three of them have been nominated to the Constituent Assembly by name by newspaper editors, publishers and media organizations, the Bar Association and civil society organizations. The remaining two were appointed by open application by the Constituent Assembly. Thus the Commission is independent.
The Commission publishes an annual report. It covers all its functions. A copy of this will be submitted to Parliament and another copy will be sent to the President of the country. The report should be made available to the public two weeks after its submission to Parliament. Also it should be placed for public view in the office of the Commission. Or can be uploaded on its website. The Commission is thus transparent in its disclosure of its activities.
The Right to Information Commission is located at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo. You can also go to this commission and get more clear information about the Right to Information Act.
Source: A Citizen’s Manual on Sri Lanka’s Right to Information Law
Recent Comments