New UK law to protect royal privacy
Source: Agencies |
January 20, 2011, Thursday
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A NEW British law that took effect yesterday makes Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Prince William exempt from freedom of information laws, meaning many private details of their lives won't be made public for decades.
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said the exemption will protect the monarch's private conversations with politicians and officials - but information advocates say it will make it even harder to hold to account a royal family that costs taxpayers millions a year.
For centuries, the workings of the British monarchy were shrouded in secrecy by a blend of law, convention, deference and media self-censorship. That media acquiescence is long gone, and under freedom of information laws that took effect in 2005, information about the royal family could be released if it was shown to be in the public interest.
"It at least raised the possibility that information could be disclosed," said Maurice Frankel of the Campaign for Freedom of Information. "What the changes do is remove the public interest test - exemption -becomes absolute."
The new legislation amends the Freedom of Information Act to exempt communications with the monarch, the heir to the throne and the second in line, or with others -acting on their behalf.
In an irony noted by anti-monarchists, the change is buried within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, legislation the government says is aimed at "opening up public bodies to public scrutiny."
Clarke said the new rule would "protect the long-standing conventions surrounding the monarchy and its records, for example the sovereign's right and duty to counsel, encourage and warn her government, as well as the heir to the throne's right to be instructed in the business of government in preparation for their future role as monarch."
The British government argues that the new law enshrines the "well-established -conventions of confidentiality" that protect the monarch's political neutrality.
But critics say Prince Charles, the 62-year-old heir to the throne, has cast neutrality aside by peppering ministers with letters on behalf of environmental issues and his pet projects. With the new law, they despair of getting their hands on evidence of his alleged meddling.
"What he's doing in some of these cases is obviously lobbying," said Frankel. "That raises the question of whether he should still enjoy the special protection that the monarch and the heir to the throne -traditionally receive."
All freedom of information requests for details about Prince Charles' correspondence have been rejected. But such requests have managed to extract some nuggets, including the queen's 2004 request for money from a fund intended for low-income households to help pay palace heating bills. The request was turned down.
Frankel said the effects of the change would likely be limited. The royal household is defined as a family rather than a public body, and so is exempt from most requests.
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said the exemption will protect the monarch's private conversations with politicians and officials - but information advocates say it will make it even harder to hold to account a royal family that costs taxpayers millions a year.
For centuries, the workings of the British monarchy were shrouded in secrecy by a blend of law, convention, deference and media self-censorship. That media acquiescence is long gone, and under freedom of information laws that took effect in 2005, information about the royal family could be released if it was shown to be in the public interest.
"It at least raised the possibility that information could be disclosed," said Maurice Frankel of the Campaign for Freedom of Information. "What the changes do is remove the public interest test - exemption -becomes absolute."
The new legislation amends the Freedom of Information Act to exempt communications with the monarch, the heir to the throne and the second in line, or with others -acting on their behalf.
In an irony noted by anti-monarchists, the change is buried within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, legislation the government says is aimed at "opening up public bodies to public scrutiny."
Clarke said the new rule would "protect the long-standing conventions surrounding the monarchy and its records, for example the sovereign's right and duty to counsel, encourage and warn her government, as well as the heir to the throne's right to be instructed in the business of government in preparation for their future role as monarch."
The British government argues that the new law enshrines the "well-established -conventions of confidentiality" that protect the monarch's political neutrality.
But critics say Prince Charles, the 62-year-old heir to the throne, has cast neutrality aside by peppering ministers with letters on behalf of environmental issues and his pet projects. With the new law, they despair of getting their hands on evidence of his alleged meddling.
"What he's doing in some of these cases is obviously lobbying," said Frankel. "That raises the question of whether he should still enjoy the special protection that the monarch and the heir to the throne -traditionally receive."
All freedom of information requests for details about Prince Charles' correspondence have been rejected. But such requests have managed to extract some nuggets, including the queen's 2004 request for money from a fund intended for low-income households to help pay palace heating bills. The request was turned down.
Frankel said the effects of the change would likely be limited. The royal household is defined as a family rather than a public body, and so is exempt from most requests.
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