Freedom of information laws and open government data as anti-corruption measures

Abstract

The phenomenon of corruption can be cited as a problem of social development – economic, political and social, in most of the counties in the world.

The corruption is concerned with the lack of democracy and can lead to unequal distribution of power and resources, lack of accountability, weak institutions and mismanagement. The purpose of the article is to analyze the importance of access to information laws and open data in the field of fighting corruption. The author argues his point of view, thе access to public information is a basic value in a democratic society and a prerequisite for the right of citizens to reasonably express an opinion and disseminate it. The general scientific research methods applied in the article are: analysis and synthesis methods, methods of systematic research, inductive and deductive methods, comparative analysis, comparative-legal method and systematic interpretation. The study showed that in order to defend our guaranteed human and civil rights, we must, strive not to turn a blind eye to corruption, but to look for possible ways of counteraction and prevention. By joining forces in this direction, members of society can support democracy, protect their human rights and, just as importantly, protect the moral foundations of society.