A comprehensive review of the Access to Information (ATI) Act conducted by Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) revealed that of the 111 ATI requests filed by the civil society group between February and November of 2025 to 101 public authorities, the majority, 37.8 per cent, remained completely unanswered, constituting a breach of the statutory 30-day disclosure requirement under the Act.

The review was launched on Wednesday during a public forum held by the JFJ and the Commonwealth Foundation on enhancing transparency by examining the Act and its reforms.

According to JFJ’s report, only 30.6 per cent of their requests were fulfilled within the 30-day timeline established under the Act, and 31.5 per cent were fulfilled after the 30-day period. The average delay beyond the legal limit was eight and a half days.

Additionally, of the 111 requests, 49 were acknowledged within seven days, while 21 were acknowledged after seven days. Sixteen requests were acknowledged when a response was provided, and 25 requests received no acknowledgement.

Among the 69 government agencies that fulfilled requests, 63.8 per cent fully met disclosure standards while 23.2 per cent partially met same, with gaps. The remaining 13 per cent of agencies denied requests, citing they did not meet requirements. The report stated that common grounds for denial included the assertion that no records existed or that the request was overly broad.

Responding to areas of concern, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Marlon Morgan provided updates on the Act’s reform process, citing that Government is far advanced in its review of the Act and the approach to reformation, with an estimated date of completion set for the first quarter of the upcoming fiscal year.

Acknowledging the protracted delays in reform, Morgan said that a determination is to be made by Cabinet on how the reform of the Act will be approached going forward.

He further noted that between January and March 2026, the Access to Information unit will be finalising the draft ATI Act Advisory Committee framework for submission to the portfolio minister for approval.

“This initiative fulfils a commitment under the Government of Jamaica Open Government Partnership Second National Action Plan, and will establish a modern, multi-stakeholder consultation mechanism… The framework, I dare say, will facilitate ongoing engagement between the Government on the one hand and the civil society stakeholders on the other hand in relation to access to information reforms and operational issues,” said Morgan.

But Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, executive officer of Jamaica Environment Trust, was sceptical. “We’ve had a lot of conversations where a lot of commitments [have been] made, and I think we are at that point where we need to see action. It’s long overdue, so the proof is in the eating,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jeanette Calder, executive director of the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal, recalled that just four years ago a similar conversation took place with the minister responsible for information, Robert Morgan. She noted that much, “has been done and can be done with it [the Act] where it is now. However, I can only imagine the change that will be possible if we could really get those timelines and get the needle moving. But am I expecting that? No, not without citizens weighing in if we’re gonna look at the past as a guideline”.