Transparency and Silence

Today, the people of 65 countries have laws that provide mechanisms for them to request and obtain information from their respective governments. However, not all these laws were written - or are followed - effectively. This survey of access to information laws and practices in 14 countries opens a window onto one specific aspect of transparency: the right of an individual to request and receive information from a government. In so doing, it reveals much about the nature and efficacy of mechanisms employed by governments around the world to guarantee the right of access to information.