Category Archives: Uncategorised
Uncovering the Environment: The Use of Public Access to Environmental Information Summary Report
A key output of the “Uncovering the Environment: The Use of Public Access to Environmental Information” project was the publication of a report summarising the project’s findings on how the right of access to environmental information was implemented and utilised … Continue reading
University of Dundee Seeking PhD Proposals on Freedom of Information Law
Building on the findings of this project, the University of Dundee has opened applications for students to work under Professor Reid and staff members from the School of Business to conduct doctoral research on freedom of information and its application … Continue reading
Information and Lockdown
Emergency legislation always throws up a number of quirks and one area where this is the case at present is in relation to freedom of information. Everyone accepts that the current circumstances will affect the ability of public authorities to … Continue reading
What Constitutes ‘Success’ in the Use of Public Access to Environmental Information: Learning from the Project Findings
On 12 March 2020 Dr Sean Whittaker delivered a talk to the Information Requests Network in Glenrothes, discussing key findings of the “Uncovering the Environment: the Use of Public Access to Environmental Information” project. Dr Whittaker also highlighted the upcoming … Continue reading
Information is Power: How Public Authorities and Freedom of Information Officers Perceive Their Power in Relation to the Right to Access Environmental Information
In the first part of this series of blog posts we discussed how users of the right of access to environmental information in Scotland perceived themselves to be less powerful than Scottish public authorities under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations … Continue reading
Presentation of Oral Evidence to the Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee
On 3 October 2019 Professor Colin Reid presented oral evidence to the Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee regarding the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. This evidence was based on the project’s current findings, and focused on the connections … Continue reading
Exceptions and Conflict under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations: Part I
In responding to requests for environmental information under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, Scottish public authorities are entitled to refuse to disclose the requested information. However, public authorities can only do so if the request falls within one of … Continue reading