Promotion of Access of Information Act (PAIA)
The Promotion of Access of Information Act gives effect to section 32 of the Constitution, which provides that everyone has the right to access any information held by the State or any information that is held by another person, where such information is required for the exercise or the protection of any rights.
The Act creates mechanisms to facilitate access to records held by public and private bodies irrespective of their size and the nature of their business.
To facilitate this access, the Act sets out various procedures to be followed by persons requesting information (called requesters) and the “head” / delegated Information Officer of private bodies (referred to for convenience as “Information Officer”). Any person may request access, including an employee, the public, government or competitors.