Maldives: Note - on the - Right to Information Act

While the protections are positive, it is better practice to provide for the development of a central form for making requests, so that it is the same form for each public authority, and to require the acceptance of requests which are not made on the form but which have the requisite information. [...] Better practice is to set out at least the general framework for the free reuse of information in an RTI law, or potentially in another law, and to require the government to develop a set of reuse licences for different types of information and then to attach them to information when it is disclosed publicly, including pursuant to the RTI Act. [...] However, it is important for the RTI law to set out the main three-part test described above and only allow exceptions in other laws to continue to apply if they meet the standards of The Centre for Law and Democracy is a non-profit human rights organisation working internationally to provide legal expertise on foundational rights for democracy. [...] Section 14(a) provides for disclosure to be deferred where the information is required by law to be published but the time for that has not arrived, where the information has been prepared for the People’s Majlis or for another authority as required by law but not yet presented to the Majlis or such other authority. [...] 8 Maldives: Note on the Right to Information Act Recommendations ▪ The RTI Act should provide for its provisions to override inconsistent secrecy provisions in other laws, to the extent of the inconsistency.