The Freedom of Information Act at 25: What next for freedom of information?

Photos from this event are available on our Flickr.

All of our public events are available to listen to afterwards on the IfG EVENTS podcast. 

The Freedom of Information (FoI) Act – which was passed 25 years ago and came into force five years later – created a legal right for citizens to request information from public authorities. This was a radical shift in the government's approach to information and a significant step towards a more open culture of government.

FoI was designed to generate more transparency and to tackle perceived secrecy in government, and it has been a vital tool for journalists, researchers and private citizens alike. However, some politicians have been critical of the burden that FoI requests create, and there are outstanding questions about how the FoI system can be more effective.

With FoI requests more than tripling since it was introduced in 2005, this IfG event assessed the state of FoI on its double anniversary – and explore, through a series of proposals and an expert panel discussion, how the system can be improved.

To pitch their proposals for the future of Freedom of Information, the IfG was joined by

• Jenna Corderoy, Investigative reporter at Democracy for Sale
• Dr Louise Crow, Chief Executive of mySociety
• Dr Ben Worthy, Lecturer at Birkbeck University

And to discuss the proposals and the FoI system more broadly,

• John Edwards, Information Commissioner
• Lord Charlie Falconer, Secretary for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (2003–07)
• Lynn Wyeth, Executive Board Member of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, and Executive Board Member of The National Association of Data Protection and Freedom of Information Officers (NADPO)

The event was chaired by Gavin Freeguard, Associate of the Institute for Government.