The Law on Access to Public Information signed by the President

President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych signed a law on access to public information and the law on information, the representative head of state Parliament Yuri Miroshnichenko. "I want you especially to inform that today the President signed two important resonance of the law ... Law on Access to Public Information and Information Act "- he said at a press briefing on Thursday. Myroshnychenko recalled that the Law on Access to Public Information provides a 5-day period of response to a request for information or a 48-hour - in case of emergency situation. In addition, these laws provide for the need to create divisions or responsible in various institutions of government. It was reported that on January 13 the Verkhovna Rada adopted in general laws on access to public information and on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on ensuring access to public information . Nov. 30, 2010 the Verkhovna Rada of 344 votes adopted the bill on access to public information. At the same time during the presentation of the bill A. Shevchenko said that the bill needs to be improved, as it gives an imperfect definition of false information and returns the authorities the right to compensation for moral damages. Under the law, access to information about activities and decisions of public authority should be carried out as follows: disclosure of information in the media and in official publications, providing information on request, placing information on its official website on the Internet, providing information through an information service of public authority. The document revealed that "mandatory disclosure public authority subject: information about the activity of the authority." The law provides for control over the provision of access to public information, which must be carried out by special bodies that determine the Verkhovna Rada and President of Ukraine. The document prohibits the establishment of public authorities, institutions, the introduction of posts, which are assigned responsibility for overseeing the content of information disseminated by the media. It is also envisaged that the deliberate obstruction of the lawful professional activities of journalists and / or prosecution of journalists for the fulfillment of professional responsibilities , for criticism, carried out by an official or group of persons by prior agreement, will pull the liability under the laws of Ukraine. The law also defines the principles of mass media and journalist's accreditation procedure.