Senate’s legal, media committees pass draft Right to Access Information Law

AMMAN — The Senate’s Legal and Media and National Guidance committees on Monday passed the draft Right to Access Information Law as referred from the Lower House.

During a meeting attended by President of Jordan Press Association (JPA) Rakan Saaideh and Minister of State for Legal Affairs Nancy Namrouqa and Minister of Culture Haifa Najjar, Senator Ahmad Tbeishat cited the law’s significance in ensuring the flow of information from ministries and public institutions in line with Majesty King Abdullah’s directives.

The Lower House passed the 2023 amendments to the Right to Access Information in January as referred by the government.

The law bans officials from disclosing any classified data or those with possible risks to state security.

Under the law, no information shall be disclosed if classified or deemed as posing a threat to the security of the state and its foreign policy.

Article 12 of the draft law reads, “The official shall refrain from disclosing information related to documents received from another country that both parties have agreed to keep secret, as well as information that may harm national defence, state security or its foreign policy.”

It also bans officials from sharing data with the press if the information is in the form of analysis, recommendations and proposals with no decision yet taken about it, Petra added.