The Government budget allocated $200,000 each to Public Access to Information and to Sustainable Development. Dr. Brown has refused to commit to a timetable, but …
Government’s Central Policy Unit has said drafting instructions for a PATI bill could be placed before Cabinet within weeks. If the instructions win Ministers’ backing, a bill will be drafted by the Attorney General’s Chambers.
That’s all and good … but the public must be allowed to comment on the text of the law before it moves to the legislature.
The PATI briefing from 2005 explained what PATI is, but gave little insight into the way Bermuda might implement it. Public consultation is only meaningful if it is based on the actual text of a proposed law.
For example, the Cayman Islands undertook extensive consultation based on a draft law (not just a whitepaper), including inviting input from international experts like the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (which has advised many countries on their freedom of information access and whistleblower laws). The initial draft was revised to incorporate that feedback before it moved forward for a vote.
Bermuda must seek public feedback based on a proposed law – not on general concepts alone. The feedback of Cabinet alone is not enough.
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