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Freedom of Information - the story so far

 
 

Date: Tuesday 8 March 2005
Time : 6.30 pm
Venue : The Sekforde Arms, Sekforde Street, London EC1
Speaker: Heather Brooke

Heather Brooke will be covering issues arising from the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 in the run-up to 1 January 2005 and the initial experience of its operation.

Heather Brooke worked in the United States as a newspaper reporter. She used the American FOI Act to uncover politicians' misuse of public funds for travel and personal election campaigning. Later, as a crime reporter in South Carolina for a New York Times Regional newspaper, she uncovered flaws in the state's forensic crime lab and exposed dangerous practices in funeral homes. Both investigations resulted in changes to state law.

Heather is available for training and research on topics related to using the Freedom of Information Act, Environmental Information Regulations and other access laws. Currently she teaches the FOIA and investigative journalism course for the National Union of Journalists. She is a freelance writer, and author of a superb practical book on how to get information under the FoI: "Your right to know: how to use the freedom of information act and other access laws" (foreword by Alan Rusbridger, London: Pluto, 2004, includes index, ISBN: 0745322735).
Updated: 18 July 2005