The Importance of Freedom of Information
September 28th is internationally recognised as the International Day for Universal Access to Information or ‘Right to Know Day’.
The day marks the Freedom of Information Litigation Conference which was held in 2002. It established the International Freedom of Information Advocates Network, an international organisation that pushes for increased transparency from governments around the world.
For this month’s learning topic, we’re covering the importance that Freedom of Information has for both the civil service and the broader public.
Freedom of information, or “FOI”, is protected in the Caymanian Constitution as an institution supporting democracy and in the Freedom of Information Act (2021 Revision).
Freedom of information means that every person has a right to access information held by public authorities unless it is exempt from being published. The aim of the Act is to ensure that citizens can trust public institutions by improving government transparency and accountability along with enhancing public participation in national decision-making.
How does it benefit the public?
The ability to submit an FOI request gives the people the opportunity to hold government agencies accountable. Anyone can submit an information request without providing a reason, but for a request to be denied by the government a reason must be provided.
Submitting a request allows people to get a better understanding of what public authorities are doing and allows them to see if they are operating according to the laws that regulate them. The consideration of public scrutiny from FOI requests can enhance government decision-making to better serve the public.
The ability to send a request to the government can also allow citizens to be more actively involved in public affairs. For many people, the activities of the government can seem too complex and difficult to understand. Requesting information can give members of the public a better idea on how government is responding to the specific issues that impact their community. This leads to a more informed public that can confidently engage in what the government is doing.
How does it benefit government?
Enshrining the right to obtain public records also increases public trust in government institutions. Transparency is not only one of the key principles of the Freedom of Information Act, but it is also integral to the functioning of a democratic society. Most records held by government agencies can be accessed by anyone except for certain exempt records. Some records are exempt from release as they contain sensitive information. Despite this, a request can always be made and it is the government agency that has to decide whether the information can be accessed through FOI.
Additionally, responding to FOI requests helps public agencies to maintain good record keeping practices. These practices are outlined in the National Archive and Public Records Law (2015 Revision). To provide individuals with the information they requested, civil servants need to ensure that their records are organised and accurate so that they can be easily retrieved for submission and support prompt responses to requests.
For the key points that all civil servants need to know about FOI ensure you have completed FOI 101: Introduction to Freedom of Information online.
If you would like to learn more about the importance of Freedom of Information, or if you regularly deal with the public and would like to better understand when a matter that comes to you might need to be handled as an FOI request, the Information Rights Unit will be offering their FOI for Public Servants Course from 9:30 am to 11:30 am on Tuesday, 15 September. Additional sessions may be added based on demand. Therefore, if you can’t make this session or it’s already full when you click the link to learn more on CSC Online, you should enroll in the course to receive notifications as soon as new sessions are added.
In this blog that is part of the CSC Learning Corner campaign for September 2026, Michael Moncrieffe, who interned with the Information Rights Unit in August, shares what he learned about FOI during his internship and why civil servants should be aware of FOI and learn how legislation and policies for access to information impact our responsibilities at work.
https://www.liberties.eu/en/stories/access-to-information/44612
