Ombudsman investigates information access code
Ombudsman's investigation welcomed by former records service chief
The Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the government's access to information code and records management system, after years of calls for legislation to better protect government archives and the public's right to see them.
He said his office would compare the city's rules with other jurisdictions, including those with legislation on the issue, to see if the measures were in keeping with "modern standards of open and good administration".
He noted that the code had not been amended since its introduction 17 years ago.
Lawmakers - who have complained for years about the difficulty of obtaining information and retrieving records - welcomed the investigation, as did a former head of the Government Records Service (GRS), who said legislation was needed.
During his campaign for chief executive, Leung Chun-ying signed a press freedom charter from the Journalists Association, which included a pledge to facilitate the enactment of a freedom of information law if elected.
Departments are required to provide information upon request under the non-statutory Code on Access to Information, apart from a list of exceptions. But the only redress for someone denied information is to complain to the Ombudsman, who is powerless to order its disclosure.