All posts in the topic Access to Govt Info online - example from Norway (Short link)

May 31 23:52 NZST

I thought that (some) people on the list might be interested in this
recent press release from the Norwegian government.  The government
there has launched a system for people to search online databases of
government-held documents.

http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fad/press-centre/press-releases/2010/
Every-citizen-now-able-to-look-public-authorities-in-the-cards.html?
id=605000

The Norwegian FOI law is, like Sweden's, an access to completed
documents law, rather than an access to information law.  You will be
able to note from this press release that Norwegian journalists have
for some time now had privileged access to an electronic system for
searching databases of these completed documents.  What is new about
the system that the Norwegian government launched on 18 May is that now
anybody (who is able to speak Norwegian) can search these databases. 
I'm not sure whether it is possible to browse lists of documents,
rather than having to search, but this Google translation of the site's
'Help' page also provides useful information.  An example of this is
the advice it gives that just because you can see the document listed
via the site, it does not mean that it is automatically available under
the access to information law - some withholding grounds may still
apply:

> What if I do not get the information / documents do I ask?
> Disclosure requirements can be rejected. This means that you can not
> see the information or documents you have ordered. Refusal of access
> may be appealed under the Freedom Act. Information on the right to
> appeal and the time limit applies, shall be stated in the refusal.
> Read more about this in the Freedom of Information Act Chapter 4,
> "Administrative procedures and appeals" and Chapter 10 of the Justice
> Department's guidance to Information Act.

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF
-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oep.no%2Fsearch%2Fhelp.jsp%3Fid%3D
true%26llinks%3Doff%26reflink%3DREFERER%26lang%3Dnb%26lang%3Dnb&sl=no&tl
=en

The University of Oslo has some Norwegian laws translated
(unofficially) into English.  The English version of the Norwegian FOI
law is here:
/_assets/http/www.ub.uio.no/ujur/ulovdata/lov-20060519-016-eng.pdf

Norway's original FOI law dates from 1970 - this 2006 update repealed
that first version though, as far as I can tell.

The second half of the second paragraph of section 4 deals with
completion of documents ('drawing up'), and there is also an exemption
from the right of access in section 14 which deals with preparatory
material.

Section 29 states that agencies have to make decisions on requests for
access 'without undue delay'.  In Sweden (whose FOI law similarly
requires access in non-specific terms) the Ombudsmen have determined
this to normally mean within 24 hours (again since this is a request
for access to finalised documents, so there should be no trouble in
locating them, just considering whether or not a withholding ground
should apply).  I'm not sure if the Norwegian Ombudsman also expects
departments to make a decision on requests that fast.

Paragraph 2 of section 32 appears to say that if an agency does not
respond to a request within 5 working days, it is to be treated as a
delay-deemed refusal.

One other Norwegian government press release may interest members of
this list.  It's from last year, about the adoption of mandatory
standards in government on the data formats to be used by departments:

http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fad/press-centre/press-releases/2009/
new-obligatory-it-standards-for-the-stat.html