Catalogue

Summary

Being able to access information held by public authorities is an important right in an open society.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act gives a structure to the way information is accessed and disclosed in the public domain. Public authorities have to adhere to the Act and publish information correctly and deal with requests for information as outlined in the Act.

This highly interactive course effectively demonstrates the provisions of the FOI act using engaging case studies throughout. Both publishing information and requests for information are explained and discussed in-depth with examples and detailed case studies.

Objectives

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

• Recognise when and where the main provisions of the Freedom of Information Act apply
• Understand the types of information that will be shared in an organisation's publication scheme
• Make or handle requests for information in an appropriate way
• Understand the rights of individuals under the Act and the consequences of not complying with the legislation

Topics

Topics explored in this course:

• Main provisions for the Freedom of Information Act
• Types of information covered under the Act
• Public authority duties
• Publishing information
• Dealing with requests for information
• Providing information and refusing a request

Audience

Employees at public authorities and other organisations working with information that falls under the Freedom of Information Act

Course duration

45 minutes