SCA concerned over disregard for Information Act objectives
Publish date: 04 December 2006
Issue Number: 1720
Diary: Legalbrief Today
Category: General
The Supreme Court of Appeal is concerned that the objectives of the Promotion of Access to Information Act are being disregarded, resulting in pre-trial litigation involving considerable costs before the merits of matters are aired in court.
A Business Day report says it made this comment in upholding an appeal by retired SAA pilot Willem Classe, who wanted to get information from the airline so he could sue it for breach of contract. The court granted punitive costs against SAA, as a mark of its displeasure on the airlines conduct. The Act was intended to foster a culture of accountability in public and private bodies by giving right of access to information and ensuring people had access to information to enable them to protect their rights. One of the objects of the legislation is to avoid litigation rather than propagate it. This is the fourth case in which information has been sought in terms of the Act that has in the past 18 months required the attention of this court, said Acting Judge of Appeal Piet Combrinck. Full Business Day report style=original popup]Full Business Day report[/url] Judgment
