Almanac of law. Issue 16 (2025), pages 213–218.

DOI: 10.33663/2524-017X-2025-16-213-218

Kmetyk-Podubinska Kh. I.
The Right to Access to Information: Concept and Essence

The author notes that due to the dynamic development of society, the organization of the use of information resources has a significant impact on social relations. Information, penetrating all spheres of society, becomes its main and universal resource, and the right to access it requires thorough scientific research.

In the context of analyzing the issues of approaches to understanding the right to access to information, the author analyzed the works of domestic and foreign researchers. The author considered individual positions of researchers on various aspects of the right to access information, its correlation with the right to information and understanding as an element of the legal status of a person. At the same time, it is noted that despite the large number of works on this issue, the concept and essence of this right still remains an important theoretical and applied issue.

The article clarifies the existence of two approaches to the interpretation of the right to information. Within the framework of a narrow approach, the right to information is interpreted only as the right to receive (access) to information, that is, as a relative right. A broad approach involves attributing to the right to information all types of subjective rights aimed at information or at performing actions with it.

The lack of unity of opinion regarding the understanding of the right to information and the right to access information is traced, since they can be interpreted as a single whole, as a part and a whole, in a broad and narrow sense. However, it is emphasized that these concepts are interconnected and, due to their content, always go hand in hand in legislation and scientific doctrine.

The importance of regulating information relations for the state and society is emphasized, as evidenced by the consolidation of the right to access information at the highest legislative level.

The understanding of the essence of the right to access information is highlighted through its interpretation in the context of fundamental human rights, recognition as an important element of the legal status of a person, an inalienable, inalienable and guaranteed constitutional right of a person.

The emphasis is on the issue of unjustified narrowing of the interpretation of access only in the context of public information. Instead, it is proposed to talk about all types of information and the right to access in a broader sense, taking into account the specifics of each type.

It is concluded that the right to access information is closely related to other fundamental rights, primarily such as freedom of thought and speech, free expression of one’s views and beliefs, and is a guarantee of the effective implementation of a number of other personal, political, economic and cultural rights. Being directly related to the participation of society in the decision-making process in the state, the right to access information is an important component of democratic governance. 

Key words: information, information society, information relations, right to information, right to access information.

 

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