To change a word, it can be enough to replace a character in it. If all provisions of a law are gradually amended, a new law results.
Russians were promised free access to full judicial information, without any outtakes or savings, since July 1, 2010, when the new Law on Access to Judicial Information comes into force. But some amendments to it are already adopted by the parliament.

The response from the Tverskoy district court of Moscow is a sad surprise for IIFD lawyers. Moreover, it appears to be not the first case of the same kind: citizens receive similar advices not to “intervene” in activities of officials subordinate to the Presidential Administration – and sometimes tell nobody about them.

To be adopted by the parliament with minimal losses, a bill should be supported by additional documents including sound feasibility study. Russian parliamentarians seem to be wizards in supporting bills “about everything and nothing”.

On June 17, the Frunzensky district court of St.-Petersburg satisfied the IIFD claim and obliged the Ministry for Industry and Trade to open free access via its official website to two license registers concerning pyrotechics.

On June 22-23, 2010, the MEDIALIFE Public Foundation, supported by Soros Foundation – Kazakhstan and the OSCE Center in Astana, together with the Commission for Human Rights under the President of Kazakhstan and the Ministry for Communications and Information, holds an expert meeting “FOI Law Approval in Kazakhstan: Circumstances and Prospects”.