The Constitutional Court has ruled that part of Slovakia’s Freedom of Information Act, allowing authorities to charge fees for providing information, is unconstitutional. The court said the provision violated both the Slovak Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. The decision also confirmed President Peter Pellegrini’s earlier veto of the amendment — the only time Parliament has overridden his veto so far. The President’s Office said the ruling proves his objections were justified. The Ombudsperson, Róbert Dobrovodský, who also challenged the law, welcomed the verdict, saying it reaffirms that the right to information is a cornerstone of democracy and transparency. He warned that the original law’s vague wording on what counts as “extensive information searches” could have led to unequal treatment and restricted public access to information. The controversial amendment, proposed by MPs from the Slovak National Party, has been in force since March. With the court’s ruling, the provisions allowing state institutions to demand such fees will now lose effect once the judgment is published.
Source: TASR
