October, 29 2015, 12:00pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
UK: alice [dot] gillham [at] reprieve.org.uk / +44 (0) 207 553 8140
US: katherine [dot] oshea [at] reprieve.org / +1 917 855 8064
Grayling Attacks FOI - Reprieve Comment
Responding to Chris Grayling's suggestion that journalists' using Freedom of Information to 'generate' stories are 'misusing' the Act, Donald Campbell from human rights organization Reprieve said:
UNITED KINGDOM
Responding to Chris Grayling's suggestion that journalists' using Freedom of Information to 'generate' stories are 'misusing' the Act, Donald Campbell from human rights organization Reprieve said:
"It is worrying that Mr Grayling seems to be criticizing the media for doing a crucial job: keeping the public informed about the activities of Government. This is especially important when it concerns an issue that ministers would rather keep secret.
"Freedom of information is a crucial tool for keeping our political system honest. For example, FOI requests forced the UK Government to admit that it had sought to keep parts of the US Senate torture report secret.
"The Government must think again about its plans to weaken the Freedom of Information Act, and recognise its importance in exposing waste and wrongdoing."
Reprieve is a UK-based human rights organization that uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantanamo Bay.
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