ICO: Ministry Of Health HQ & Cabinet Office
Information Commissioner Gitanjali Gutierrez issued decisions regarding the Ministry of Health Headquarters and Cabinet Office – marking the 100th decision since the PATI Act came into effect in 2015.
A spokesperson said, “On 28 January 2022, Information Commissioner Gitanjali Gutierrez issued Decision 03/2022, her 100th formal decision since the Public Access to Information Act 2010 [PATI Act] went into effect on 1 April 2015.
Information Commissioner Gutierrez stated, “The publication of the 100th decision is a milestone in the development of PATI rights in Bermuda. It is an important reminder that the PATI Act gives the public a right to access public records within Bermuda’s PATI framework.
“The rights under the PATI Act help to level the playing field between the public and government by empowering individuals with the information they may need to understand decisions about public spending, policies, resources and other issues facing our country. Key to the PATI framework is the independent and impartial oversight of the Information Commissioner that can result in legally binding decisions.”
Information Commissioner Gutierrez further explained, “In each decision, the Information Commissioner ensures that access to public records is given when the PATI requester is entitled to the records.
“Equally important, when access to public records is denied, the Information Commissioner serves as an independent check to ensure that the refusal by the public authority is lawful under the PATI Act. Finally, in reaching this milestone, I also commend the integrity and dedication of the officers of the ICO who strive daily to fulfill this Office’s mandate under the PATI Act and engage respectfully with the public and public authorities as they do so.”
A spokesperson said, “On 28 January 2022, the Information Commissioner issued two decisions: Decision 03/2022, Ministry of Health Headquarters [Ministry Headquarters] and Decision 04/2022, Cabinet Office.
“In both decisions, the Information Commissioner considered the failure of the public authorities to conduct an internal review and issue a decision within the 6-week timeframe prescribed in the PATI Act. During the Information Commissioner’s reviews, the Ministry Headquarters and the Cabinet Office provided the Applicants with an internal review decision and, as such, were not required to take further action.”
The full version of Decision 3/2022 follows below [PDF here]:
The full version of Decision 4/2022 follows below [PDF here]:
Read More About
Category: All
OK so what happens? You can continue to admonish Government for not responding but nothing happens to them so they dont care! This PATI Office has no teeth and is a joke! Unless the Government is fined or civil servants fired for not obeying the LAW then nothing happens!