Did you submit a request for public information but didn’t receive a response? Were you denied the information or provided only part of it? You can appeal such actions or inaction by the information holder.
In particular, an appeal is possible if the information holder:
- denied the request for information
- delayed providing the information without proper grounds;
- failed to respond to the request;
- provided inaccurate or incomplete information;
- failed to meet the deadline for responding;
- failed to disclose information that it is required to disclose by law;
- or otherwise violated the requester’s legal rights and interests.
If you believe your rights have been violated, you may contact:
- the head of the information holder or a higher authority;
- the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights;
- an administrative court.
How the Free Legal Aid System Can Help
Lawyers in the free legal aid system:
- will advise you on your right to access public information
- will explain whether the requested information is public, who is the information holder, and within what timeframe it must be provided
- will help you draft the request correctly and, if necessary, prepare a complaint against unlawful actions or inaction by officials
- help prepare documents for filing a lawsuit*.
*The right to free legal aid for court proceedings is available to categories of people specified in Article 14 of the Law of Ukraine “On Free Legal Aid.” In particular, these include internally displaced persons (IDPs), war veterans, family members of fallen defenders, low-income individuals, and others.
How to access the free legal aid system:
- by phone at 0 800 213 103
- all contact information is available at: https://legalaid.gov.ua/kliyentam/yak-otrymaty-bpd/