Public access to government information: The position in France

Abstract

here has in our time been considerable progress in the matter of public access to government information. Originally conceived as a means of acquainting citizens with the laws by which they are bound, it has developed into a method of monitoring government activities and even of participating in them. Information for the public may work by the traditional means, such as the sale or distribution of publications, or by making these available in libraries and by consultation of government archives. Other methods of access are now being developed, such as the creation of information centres, access to official computer systems, and, more recently, the right to consult documents that have been withheld by the authorities and even, in certain instances, to be present at working meetings of official bodies. Development of the right of access to information should, however, be conditional on respect for privacy and the necessity for the smooth running of the administrative departments.