Workshop Report: National Security and Access to Information

The Institute for Security Studies and partners hosted a workshop in October 2010 to discuss the balance between national security and the right to information, specifically focusing on the redrafted Protection of Information Bill in South Africa.

• The Protection of Information Bill is viewed as a necessary step to replace the 1982 Protection of Information Act, which is considered incompatible with a democratic society's needs for transparency and accountability because it dates from the 'height of the centralised security state'.
• While the redrafted Protection of Information Bill is more concise and coherent than the 2008 version, it still contains fundamental issues previously raised by civil society and the media regarding potential infringements on media freedom and the constitutional right to information.
• The conference achieved several outcomes, including providing expert advice on a South African country chapter for an international study, offering recommendations on draft principles, and using international comparative experiences to inform the debate on South African legislation.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Workshop Report: National Security and Access to Information. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/conference-reports/workshop-report-national-security-and-access-to-information

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Workshop Report: National Security and Access to Information. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/conference-reports/workshop-report-national-security-and-access-to-information.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Workshop Report: National Security and Access to Information |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/conference-reports/workshop-report-national-security-and-access-to-information |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndworkshop, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Workshop Report: National Security and Access to Information}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/conference-reports/workshop-report-national-security-and-access-to-information}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }