PA Right To Know Law
Technology and Open Government
This is a beautiful written law.
The objective of the Right to Know Law … is to empower citizens by affording them access to information concerning the activities of their government.” SWB Yankees L.L.C. v. Wintermantel, 45 A.3d 1029, 1041 (Pa. 2012). Further, this important open-government law is “designed to promote access to official government information in order to prohibit secrets, scrutinize the actions of public officials and make public officials accountable for their actions.”
Unfortunately, it requires some knowledge to use it effectively. For example, it helps to review past cases to get a full understanding of this powerful tool, and that’s where technology could be helpful.
Search Past Cases
The first step is searching past final determinations.
The following case is a nice summary that a citizen can submit multiple requests to find out what is going on in Government.
Harmon v. Londonderry Township