Inter-American Court: Access to Government Information a Human Right

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For the first time, an international court has declared that access to government information is a human right. Ruling in a case brought by three Chilean environmental activists, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights declared that a “right of general access” to government-held information is protected by Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights., which covers “freedom of thought and expression.” and establishes the rights to ‘seek’ and to ‘receive’ ‘information’. (11/1/06)