The principle of public access to official records in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
is the principle that everyone should have
the right to take part in non-classified
public records
Public records are documents or pieces of information that are not considered confidential and generally pertain to the conduct of government.
For example, in California, when a couple fills out a marriage license application, they have the optio ...
and the right to attend
court proceedings. The principle of public access to official documents also means that government officials and other central and local government employees are
free to divulge information.
Similar laws
exist in over 70 countries, whereas 19 countries' legislation applies to information held by the government as well as private bodies, whereas the others apply to government information only.
Sweden
The principle of public access to official records has existed in Sweden since 1766 and has been enshrined in one of
Sweden's fundamental laws: the
Freedom of the Press Act (
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
: ''Tryckfrihetsförordningen''). Chapter 2, section 1 of Swedish law states:
In order to promote a free exchange of opinion, free and comprehensive information, and free artistic creation, everyone should have the right to take part in public documents
The principle of public access to official records is designed to ensure that the public has a good understanding of, and can exercise civilian control over, the actions of the authorities. However, it does not give publicity to all governmental documents. For example, the deliberations of boards and working committees are usually not public.
Finland
The principle of public access to official records is established in
Finland's constitution in
Freedom of Expression and Right of Access to Information (
Finnish: ''Sananvapaus ja julkisuus'') chapter 2, section 12:
Documents and other records in the possession of the Authority shall be publicly accessible unless, for imperative reasons, their disclosure is specifically restricted by law. Everyone has the right of access to a public document and record.
European Union
Since 2001, a type of public principle has also been the basis of public access to documents within the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. According to both the
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Public Regulation, records must be provided on request, normally within 15 working days and in any of the
official languages
An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
of the Union. However, there are several far-reaching exceptions that allow for the restriction of this principle of publicity. For example, with regard to public safety, the private life of the individual and the business interests of companies. In addition, the institutions may refuse to disclose internal documents that form the basis for decision-making processes that are ongoing if the disclosure is assumed to be able to influence the decision-making process.
[{{Cite web, url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=LEGISSUM:l14546, title=EUR-Lex - l14546 - EN - EUR-Lex, website=eur-lex.europa.eu, access-date=2019-11-30]
References
Freedom of information