Global Comparative Testing of Responses to Requests for Information

The Centre for Law and Democracy conducted a first-ever global “stress-test” study on the right to information (RTI) laws and their implementation. The report builds on the participation of volunteers across 122 countries and the results of 146 RTI inquiries filed in 76 States. In the key findings, 38% of requests received “mute refusals” or “no substantive reply at all,” 54% resulted in some information disclosed, and only 42% could be described as “full disclosures.” While explicit rejections scored low, the high no-response rate presented a problem. “Mute responses are a fundamental denial of the right to information,” the authors stressed. “If requests go unanswered, the right exists only on paper.”