Your Right To Know

This book makes a basic promise: It will help you pry loose government information. Governments are obsessed with controlling the message. This is your book to help get records they do not want to disclose.Your Right to Know tells you how to use freedom-of-information laws to gain access to government records on spending, policies and activities. It is a citizen’s guide and a research tool for the general public, special-interest groups, journalists and businesses.Freedom-of-information laws exist in dozens of countries, and this book shares the principles of research in easy-to-pursue steps to obtain the information you want from governments and other institutions.

This book makes a basic promise: It will help you pry loose government information. Governments are obsessed with controlling the message. This is your book to help get records they do not want to disclose. Your Right to Know tells you how to use freedom-of-information laws to gain access to government records on spending, policies and activities. It is a citizen's guide and a research tool for the general public, special-interest groups, journalists and businesses. Freedom-of-information laws exist in dozens of countries, and this book shares the principles of research in easy-to-pursue steps to obtain the information you want from governments and other institutions.

Governments and institutions hold secrets you are entitled by law to know. But how do you exercise your right? In this definitive guide, you will learn how to gain access to information and how to pry loose records governments and institutions would prefer not to release. This book walks you through the maze and over the obstacles that stand in the way of your right to know. In the process you will learn more about how your tax dollars are spent and how key decisions and events were shaped. Perhaps most importantly, you'll learn how to do it all affordably and efficiently.

Foreword xiiiIntroduction xvPart One: Background 11 History 32 The Laws 51. The Right to Information 52. Balancing the Right to Know with Certain Protections 63. The Privacy Side 64. Fees 64.1 Exemption from fees 65. The Right to Complain 73 Who Uses Access to Information? 94 Getting Started 131. The Iceberg Theory 132. Getting Started 143. Research 15vi Your Right to Know4. What You Know and What You Don’t 17Part One Review 19Part Two: How to Request Information 215 Writing a Request 231. Who 232. What 253. When 284. Where 285. How 296. Drafting the Request 31Part Two Review 35Part Three: Follow-up 376 Acknowledgement Letter 397 Follow-up 431. Duty to Assist 432. Follow-up 458 Keeping Track of Requests and Timing 471. Keeping Track 472. Extensions 483. Delays 504. Fees 519 Negotiating 55Part Three Review 63Part Four: The Response to Your Request 6510 Decoding the Information 6711 Exemptions and Exclusions 731. Exemptions 732. Exclusions 77Contents vii12 Gaps in the Laws 8113 Complaints 831. Filing a Complaint in Canada 832. Filing a Complaint in the United States 88Part Four Review 93Part Five: Some Useful Tactics 9514 Piggybacking 9715 Previously Released, Archival, andOverlooked Records 991. Previously Released Records 992. Archival Records 1003. A Closer Look at Previously Processed Requests 1014. Overlooked Records 10516 Data 109Part Five Review 113Part Six: Other Avenues 11517 The Privacy Acts 11718 Reform 121Conclusion 125Appendix I: Tips for Journalists 127Appendix II: Sources for Further Reading 129Download Kit 135Tables1 Access to Information Requests 102 Federal Access Requests in Canada 493 Canadian Exemptions 2012–2013 75viii Your Right to Know4 Database 1115 Privacy Requests in 2012–2013 120Samples1 Question Period Briefing 262 Unique Agency Record 273 Acknowledgement Letter 414 Fee Statement 525 Access to Information Request Form 576 Initial Response 587 Second Response 598 Fee Statement 609 Email Detailing Phone Call to Reduce Fees 6110 Formal Response Letter 7111 Emails: Decoding the Information 7212 Exemption 7613 Cabinet Record 7914 Canadian Access to Information Complaint Forms 8515 Complaint Letter 8616 Complaint Acknowledgement Letter 8717 Two Illustrations: Before and After Complaining 9018 US Template Letter 9219 Illustration of Archival Record 10220 Completed Requests 10321 Illustration of Video Obtained under theFederal Access Law 10622 Illustration of a Newsletter Obtained under theFederal Access Law 107