澳大利亚信息公开的例外事项及对我国的立法启示——兼评我国《政府信息公开条例》的相关规定

Exemptions in Australian FOI Act & its Enlightenment to Legislation of China:A Comment on Relevant Provisions in Regulation on Government Disclosure of Information

澳大利亚《信息自由法》对例外事项作了详细列举,并严密定义及限制,凡不属例外事项的信息一律公开。同时,还规定了许多公共利益条款,有效地防止了例外事项被扩大化解释。相比较而言,我国《政府信息公开条例》对例外事项的规定过于原则,存在大量不确定概念,行政机关自由裁量权太大,有可能对信息公开自行设限,架空《条例》,最高院司法解释也未能有效解决此问题。因此有必要借鉴国外立法经验,对我国信息公开的例外事项加以规范。

Freedom of Information Act of Australia makes a clear list of exemptions, and provides detailed definitions of and restrictions to the exemptions. Documents which are not exempt shall be disclosed. There are also many public interests tests in the Act. On the contrary, the provisions concerning the exemptions in the Regulation of Government Information Disclosure of China are too vague and uncertain. which makes it easy for administrative agents to set more exemptions by themselves. It will also lead to differences in practice by different agents. Therefore, it is necessary to learn from foreign legislations, and regulate the exemptions in China＇s FOI regime.