Odmowa dostępu do informacji publicznej w kontekście społecznej kontroli działalności służb specjalnych
Denying access to public information in the context of social control of secret services’ activities

Author(s): Zuzanna Ganczewska
Subject(s): Administrative Law
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: access to public information; social control; secret services; protection of classified information; Tshwane Principles; human rights; freedom of speech; Supreme Administrative Court
Summary/Abstract: Pursuant to the Access to Public Information Act of September 6, 2001, denying access to public information is possible, among other cases, if the information covered by the request constitutes classified information. Although undoubtedly some information, for reasons of state security and other legitimate interests, should be subject to a certain degree of protection, this may lead to a reduction in the society’s ability to control the – often controversial and emotionally charged in the public debate – activities of the secret services. The doctrine and non-governmental organizations attempt to answer the question of how to simultaneously ensure the safety of legally protected interests and an adequate level of transparency in the activities of secret services. This paper reviews the examples of answers to this question in relation to balancing these values in the framework of access to public information and against the background of the current state of the law and positions appearing in the case law of the Supreme Administrative Court.

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