APELACIONI SUD - Public relations department

ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Rights related to the access to information of public importance available in the governmental bodies are regulated by the Law on Free Access to the Information of Public Interest.

Above mentioned Law defines that information of public importance is information available in the governmental bodies, which was generated during work or is related to work of that governmental body, contained in certain document, and related to issues that the public is entitled to know.

It is assumed that the request of the seeker of the information is grounded, and the Law includes the list of cases when certain information can be accessed.

Access to the information of public interest includes four basic rights:

Right of the seeker to receive information if a governmental body possesses certain information;
Right of the seeker of information to have, free of charge, access to the document containing requested information of public interest;
Right of the seeker of information to get, for a certain fee, copy of the document containing requested information of public interest;
Right of the seeker of information to receive, for a certain fee, copy of the document containing requested information of public interest via mail, fax, e-mail or in other way;

Detailed information about the fees can be found here.

If an information of public importance is already available or published in the country or on the Internet, governmental body should include explanation where it could be found, in their written response, except when that is well known.

If requested information of public importance contains parts that the public is not entitled to know, seeker of the information shall be provided access to other parts of the document.

PROCEDURE UPON THE REQUESTS FOR FREE ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

In the Court of Appeal in Belgrade, judge Biserka Zivanovic has been assigned to proceed based the requests for access to information of public importance.

Request is submitted orally or in written form (prescribed form can be used) at the counter number 38, or by fax number (381 11) 363 50 45, as well as on court e-mail apelacionisud.bgd@bg.ap.sud.rs. Request must include name of the court, first and last name and address of the seeker, precise description of requested information and any other data. Seeker is not obliged to state the reasons for submitting the request for access to certain information.

Here you can download form for the request for free access to information of public importance.

In case a request is not complete, i.e. does not contain necessary data, seeker of the information shall receive notification to submit missing data. If seeker of information does not complete the request within 15 days from the day notification was received, and these insufficiencies are such that the court can not process this request, the court shall conclude that the request is rejected as incomplete. There is no possibility to file an appeal against this conclusion.

Court shall make the decision about the request within 15 days from the day request is received, and in case of justifiable reasons this deadline can be postponed, but not for more than 40 days. If a request is related to the information which is assumed to be important for protection of life or freedom of an individual, or endangerment or protection of health of citizens and environment, court shall make the decision about the request within 48 hours from the moment request is submitted.

If the request is granted, Court shall make official note about that.

In case the Court refuses the request, court shall make the decision with explanation, advising the seeker that appeal against this decision can bee submitted to the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection. Seeker of information can also file an appeal with the Commissioner in case the court does not respond to the request within set timeframe.