Description
There are two areas of expertise of Otevřená společnost where the public needs support to fulfill their individual rights – access to information under the Freedom of Information Act and access to justice for victims of so-called “petty” crime. The project aims to provide this support by creation of advisory capacity and tools within Otevřená společnost to help the public to cope with the situations of inadequate proceeding of the FoI information requests (up to 15% of all requests according to qualified estimates) and of inappropriate attitude and service of the police when petty crimes are reported to them. The straight benefits will be both information requester (citizens) and providers (officials from public institutions), as well as victims of petty crime (and of potential inappropriate behavior of the police during reporting). Some of the cases may be followed up by strategic litigation.
Summary of project results
The project responded to the low enforceability of rights guaranteed by Article 17 of the Charter of fundamental rights and freedoms, notably free access to information, right to the free dissemination of information and the prohibition of censorship, which is one of the root causes of the lack of transparency of public administration allowing corruption, abuse of position, that reduces efficient performance of governance. The overall aim was to strengthen public participation in decision-making processes of public administration through counseling, consultation, monitoring, advocacy and litigation activities in the field of access to information and the functioning of the police. The project has created a new advisory portal of Open Society o.p.s., which contains existing information counseling, and the newly formed police counseling. Counseling are part of an information portal for the public and involving a recommended basic procedures, answers to frequently asked questions, legal cases and case studies. Other project outcomes, in addition to counseling and information portal, include the analysis of queries in a police counseling and Manual for stealing a bicycle. Strategic litigation, which examined the compulsory subjects of state and public administration, while actors from the circle of state and parastatal companies and organizations that either the obligations of the liable entity fails to comply, or even believe that the liable party is not, during litigation showed that not always clarified or who is among the operators concerned of their superior authority and therefore subject that could / should rectify.Thanks to counseling, citizens were provided with easier access to information that is of interest. Officials again know how and what information to provide. Some data, which the government until recently, kept to himself, became accessible to all.
Summary of bilateral results