Frdm f nfrmtn lws llw ccss by th gnrl pblc t dt hld by ntnl gvrnmnts nd, whr pplcbl, by stt nd lcl gvrnmnts. Th mrgnc f frdm f nfrmtn lgsltn ws rspns t ncrsng dsstsfctn wth th scrcy srrndng gvrnmnt plcy dvlpmnt nd dcsn mkng. n rcnt yrs ccss t nfrmtn ct hs ls bn sd. Thy stblsh "rght-t-knw" lgl prcss by whch rqsts my b md fr gvrnmnt-hld nfrmtn, t b rcvd frly r t mnml cst, brrng stndrd xcptns. ls vrsly rfrrd t s pn rcrds, r snshn lws (n th ntd Stts), gvrnmnts r typclly bnd by dty t pblsh nd prmt pnnss. n mny cntrs thr r cnstttnl grnts fr th rght f ccss t nfrmtn, bt ths r slly nsd f spcfc spprt lgsltn ds nt xst. ddtnlly, th ntd Ntns Sstnbl Dvlpmnt Gl 16 hs trgt t nsr pblc ccss t nfrmtn nd th prtctn f fndmntl frdms s mns t nsr ccntbl, nclsv nd jst nstttns.