Hong Kong ombudsman imposes further restrictions on archived report access
Further restrictions have been imposed on accessing past investigation reports from the Office of the Ombudsman, which have been taken offline under a new policy, with authorities now only permitting the public to view a maximum of six documents during each pre-booked 1½-hour session.
When the Post tested the new arrangement by pre-booking a session to view reports at the office on Monday, no catalogue of past reports was provided for reference. This makes it difficult for the public to identify which past reports are available for inspection.
The office's recent
removal of all investigation reports published before April 2023 from its website has drawn criticism from lawmakers and scholars, who lamented that the move represented a backward step in transparency and contradicted the office's role in improving public access to government information.
From last Tuesday, members of the public have been required to complete a form to apply to view specific old investigation reports in person at the office in Sheung Wan. Monday was the first day the office provided viewing sessions to successful applicants.
The Post reporter who attended a pre-booked session on Monday afternoon was escorted to a designated room equipped with a surveillance system. Notices on the wall stipulated rules for users.
'Users should view information within the area designated by the office for a session of 1.5 hours and may only request to view a maximum of six documents each time,' the notice read.
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