Researcher on the current Access to Information Law: Limiting exceptions by applying Harm vs. Public Interests Test

About LTA

The Lebanese Transparency Association - No Corruption was established in 1999 with the aim of reducing rampant corruption in Lebanon, promoting the principles of transparency and accountability, establishing the rule of law and respecting the fundamental rights inaugurated in international laws and the Lebanese Constitution, by focusing on systematic improvement, building alliances, and encouraging civil society organizations to take measures towards transparency and accountability. LTA later became the national chapter of Transparency International.

LTA has worked to enhance transparency in the public and private sectors in Lebanon for more than a decade, by implementing a number of projects that ranged from contributing to the development to lobbying the anti-corruption laws (such as the draft law on the Right to Access to Information, the Whistleblowers Protection Law, the Asset and Interest Declaration and the Punishment of Illicit Enrichment Law etc....), and the monitoring of parliamentary and municipal elections since 2009, in addition to other projects aimed at empowering youth and municipalities on issues related to good governance …

LTA was chosen as a member of the first Independent Oversight Board (IOB) for the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF), which was launched in response to the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion.

LTA aims to produce and disseminate a research paper on the additional safeguards required to the Access to Information Law as to ensure a wider scope for proactive disclosure of information. Following its successful advocacy to amend the Access to Information Law in 2020, LTA continues to push for more transparency through ameliorating the law by applying more limitations to the exceptions on proactive disclosure. The research paper will identify the risks of maintaining unjustified exceptions to disclosing information of public nature, and establish the relevance for the application of the harm vs. public interest test on exceptions.

The Researcher should have the following knowledge and experience:

• PhD in social sciences (preferably Law, Political Science, or a specialized master in the topic of the study, in this case anti-corruption regulations or legislative tools is required).
• Proven record of relevant publications.