Poland

Name of law: Act on Access to Public Information
First adopted: 2001
Last modified: 2011-09
RTI Rating last updated: 2015-08

Introduction

Poland’s law has some strengths but also some notable weaknesses, resulting in a middling score. The law has an exceptionally broad scope, which results in a near-perfect score in that category. This is supplemented by a compliant exceptions regime that is minimalistic, even though the regime is problematically missing a harm-test and public interest override. The law is also problematically subject to other pieces of legislation, as the legal framework allows other laws to generate exceptions vis-a-viz the classification of information. The most notable weakness in the law, however, is its underdeveloped appeals system that completely omits an external route for reconsideration of refusals in the form of an independent administrative body.

The law is also available in its Polish original here.