Where are we now with the Freedom of Information Act?
It’s been nearly two decades since the Freedom of Information Act came into force. The landmark piece of legislation has allowed members of the public, journalists, campaigners and others to hold public authorities to account to great effect. But over the years the Act has been severely undermined, and with an election on the horizon, it’s time for a big discussion on what the future holds for information rights.
Organised by openDemocracy, this conference had four panel discussions, where speakers discussed a whole range of topics. These included what political parties are doing to ensure that the Act is here to stay; a review of the new Information Commissioner’s record since taking over in 2022; what journalists, campaigners and NGOs have recently revealed through FOI; and what we can learn from each other when campaigning for better information rights.
There were speakers from the Information Commissioner’s Office, legal and campaigning organisations, as well as journalists and academics. The event took place in the Council Chamber, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR, on 8 March 2024, 9am to 5.30pm.
Schedule
Introduction by openDemocracy’s Jenna Corderoy
9.25am-9.30am
Keynote speech by Emily Thornberry MP
9.30am
Session 1: The politics of FOI
10am-11.20am
How will the main political parties ensure that the FOI Act is here to stay and works well? How will they protect and strengthen it?
- Moderator: Ramzy Alwakeel, openDemocracy
- Panellist one: Ben Worthy, Birkbeck University
- Panellist two: Sachin Savur, Institute for Government
- Panellist three: Tommy Sheppard MP (via Zoom)
- Panellist four: Meirion Jones, journalist
Session 2: The ICO’s record – achievements, obstacles and limitations
11.45am-1.05pm
It’s been two years since John Edwards took over the reins as Commissioner at the Information Commissioner’s Office. Back in 2022, the ICO had a huge backlog of freedom of information complaints, and since then, the ICO has reprimanded more and more public authorities for failing to answer requests for information. So how is the ICO faring now? What are its achievements? And what hasn’t it got right yet?
- Moderator: Martin Rosenbaum, FOI expert and author
- Panellist one: Warren Seddon, Information Commissioner’s Office
- Panellist two: Claire Miller, journalist
- Panellist three: Jenna Corderoy, openDemocracy
- Panellist four: Jon Baines, Mishcon de Reya, NADPO
Session 3: FOI in action – what has FOI revealed lately?
2pm-3.20pm
The Freedom of Information Act is a powerful tool for those trying to hold public authorities to account. In this session, we hear from those who use FOI to great effect and who have used it to expose injustice and reveal troubling findings. What have been their experiences? What have they learnt from the process?
- Moderator: Sian Norris, openDemocracy
- Panellist one: Jake Hurfurt, Big Brother Watch
- Panellist two: Mirren Gidda, pupil barrister at No5
- Panellist three: Alex Parsons, mySociety
- Panellist four: Professor Sam Raphael, Unredacted
Session 4: What needs to be done and how can we work together to strengthen FOI?
4pm-5.20pm
The Freedom of Information Act needs to be updated and enforced better, but when there’s a lack of political willingness to do so, it falls on campaigners’ shoulders to push for reform. In this session we hear from those who have long campaigned on transparency. What lessons can be learned and how can we push for better information rights? How can we work together?
- Moderator: Mel Bunce, City University
- Panellist one: Stewart Kirkpatrick, openDemocracy
- Panellist two: Natasha Hirst, NUJ
- Panellist three: Jason Evans, Factor 8
- Panellist four: Maurice Frankel, Campaign for Freedom of Information
Wrapping up the conference with Jenna Corderoy
5.20pm-5.30pm