ACCESS TO INFORMATION

CHAPTER 20:01
ACCESS TO INFORMATION

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

    3.    Application

    4.    Objects

    5.    Access to information

    6.    Primacy

PART II
OVERSIGHT MECHANISM FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION

    7.    Designation of the Commission

    8.    Powers of the Commission

    9.    Publication of guidelines

    10.    Immunity of the Commission

    11.    Submission of reports

PART III
COMPLIANCE WITH ACCESS TO INFORMATION OBLIGATIONS

    12.    Appointment of information officers and establishment of procedures for compliance with this Act

    13.    Record keeping and maintenance of records

    14.    Capacity building for staff and provision of requisite infrastructure

PART IV
DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF INFORMATION

    15.    Disclosure of information

    16.    Preparation and disclosure of information manuals

    17.    Annual reports

PART V
PROCEDURE FOR ACCESS TO INFORMATION

    18.    Request for access to information

    19.    Processing of requests for information

    20.    Third party notification

    21.    Partial disclosure of information

    22.    Means by which communication is to be provided to an applicant

    23.    Transfer of request for information to relevant institutions

    24.    Fees

    25.    Refusal of disclosure of requested information

    26.    Information that cannot be found or does not exist

    27.    Deemed denial

PART VI
INFORMATION EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE

    28.    Limitation on the right of access to information

    29.    Protection of personal information

    30.    Protection of information that preserves national security or defence

    31.    Protection of information to preserve the life, health and safety of a person

    32.    Protection of legally privileged information

    33.    Protection of information ongoing academic or recruitment processes

    34.    Protection of information on Malawi’s international relations

    35.    Protection of commercial and confidential information of an information holder or a third party

    36.    Manifestly malicious, frivolous or vexatious requests

    37.    Third parties to be notified of disclosure of exempted information

    38.    Proof of exemption to be shown when disclosure is denied

PART VII
INTERNAL REVIEW OF DECISIONS OF INFORMATION HOLDERS

    39.    Right of internal review of decisions of information holders

    40.    Application for internal review of decisions of information holders

    41.    Decision on internal review

    42.    Decision making on internal review not to be delegated

    43.    Deemed refusal under an internal review process

PART VIII
REVIEW OF DECISIONS OF INFORMATION HOLDERS

    44.    Review of decisions of information holders

    45.    Examination of record

    46.    Report of findings

    47.    Information on determinations

    48.    Provision of access to information

    49.    Application to Court for review

PART IX
PROTECTION OF WHISTLE BLOWERS

    50.    Protection of whistle blowers

PART X
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES

    51.    Prevention of disclosure of information

    52.    False information

    53.    Wrongful denial of disclosure of information

    54.    Misuse of disclosed information

PART XI
MISCELLANEOUS

    55.    Regulations

    56.    Transitional arrangements

        SCHEDULE

13 of 2017
G.N. 70/2020

    An Act to provide for the right of access to information in the custody of public bodies and relevant private bodies; the processes and procedures related to obtaining that information; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Access to Information Act.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    “Commission” means the Human Rights Commission established under Chapter XI of the Constitution;

    “Court” means the High Court of Malawi or a Court of a Resident Magistrate;

    “information” includes an original or copy of any material, record or document which communicates facts, opinion, data or any other matter regardless of its form, characteristics or date of creation, that is in the custody or under the control of any information holder to which this Act applies;

    “information holder” means a public body and a relevant private body;

    “personal information” means information about an identifiable individual including—

    (a)    information relating to the race, colour, sex, language, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, disability, property, birth or other status or condition of the individual;

    (b)    information relating to the education, medical, or employment history of the individual or information relating to financial transactions in which the individual has been involved;

    (c)    any identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual;

    (d)    the address, fingerprints or blood type of the individual;

    (e)    correspondence sent by the individual that is implicitly or explicitly of a private or confidential nature or further correspondence that would reveal the contents of the original correspondence; and

    (f)    the name of the individual where it appears with other personal information relating to the individual or where the…