Tag: freedom of information
Public authorities slip on FOI efficiency
(CNS): As the Office of the Ombudsman prepares to mark the annual Right to Know Day, in the tenth year since the Freedom of Information law was implemented, the office released a report revealing that public authorities are falling behind again when it comes to complying with the legislation. The latest statistics show that last […]
Immigration ignores FOI requests
(CNS): The Department of Immigration (DoI) has admitted that a shortage of resources and its transition into two new agencies, the Customs and Border Control Agency and Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman, left it unable to manage freedom of information requests. The Office of the Ombudsman, which deals with appeals relating to troublesome requests, found […]
CIG given almost 3,000 free ads for port promotion
(CNS): Radio Cayman has confirmed that the government received almost 3,000 free advertisements on the publicly-owned station between early October and the end of December. Responding to a freedom of information request from Opposition Leader Ezzard Miller, the information manager said the station broadcast the public service announcements on behalf of the tourism ministry for […]
CIG’s Euro trip adds up to $150K
(CNS): The extended trip to Europe in September by the premier, financial services minister, the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands (MACI) and a number of other government officials cost the public purse more than $150,000, according to documents released by the various relevant government departments. Premier Alden McLaughlin led a small delegation to Europe […]
Transport unit dodges FOI with poor records
(CNS): The ombudsman has let the Public Transportation Unit (PTU) off the hook over a refused freedom of information request because of its poor record keeping. In Sandy Hermiston’s latest decision regarding an applicant’s appeal over a denied public records request, she has upheld the PTU’s refusal because trying to compile the statistics asked for would […]
FOI exemptions grow, data protection delayed
(CNS): Changes to the Freedom of Information Law passed in the Legislative Assembly earlier this month, without the support of the opposition, will see further areas of legal exemption added to government documents and allow ministers more input in decisions on whether or not to grant applications. Changes to the law largely refer to records […]
Minister refuses to reveal more of tech hub deal
(CNS): The minister of commerce has declined to reveal any more of the very heavily redacted deal he signed with TechCayman because, he said, it was a confidential agreement. After CNS received a largely blacked-out document in response to a freedom of information request, we requested an internal review. However, in response to that Minister Joseph […]
Complaints reveal chaos in bus sector
(CNS): Documents released by the tourism ministry detailing hundreds of reported complaints made about bus and taxi drivers throughout 2017 paint a picture of chaos within the Cayman Islands Public Transport Unit. From drivers falling asleep at the wheel and crashing while carrying visitors to fighting and squabbling over poaching passengers, many of the men […]
Ombudsman urges ministry to say ‘sorry’
(CNS): The Office of the Ombudsman has urged the finance ministry to offer an apology to an applicant who made a freedom of information request over stamp duty abatement records after the office found that the request had been badly handled. In the end the applicant was able to secure the records she was seeking […]
Ombudsman says FOI is ‘inalienable right’
(CNS): The new supra-ombudsman has said that the freedom of information is a vital part of government openness and transparency. Sandy Hermiston arrived in Cayman last month to take over the helm of the newly combined and challenging office of public service complains, police complaints, whistle-blowing and data protection. On Cayman’s Right to Know Day, she […]
Ritch ruling could threaten FOI, says info boss
(CNS): Acting Information Commissioner Jan Liebaers has raised concerns that public authorities could hide behind the claim of legal privilege to block his office from controversial documents that become the subject of an appeal due to a recent legal decision. The governor’s use of the ‘nuclear option’ to prevent him from seeing the Ritch Report last […]
