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Classified Information: A review of current legislation across 15 countries & the EU

An in-depth review of security classification legislation of 15 countries, such as Germany, New Zealand and the UK, who have grappled with the need to balance national security concerns with granting citizens the right to access information.

This paper by Transparency International UK is an in-depth review of security classification legislation of 15 countries, such as Germany, New Zealand and the UK, who have grappled with the need to balance national security concerns with granting citizens the right to access information.

The main purpose of the report is to underpin that the right to information provides the legal basis of transparency, which in turn is essential for accountability and democracy. Read this report to have an idea on how national governments classify "confidential" or "top secret" documents, and how they relate with the ‘right to know’ of the public.