Right to Information Act 2016 · As enacted · Part V · Appointment of Information Officers and Procedure for Gaining Access to Information
24. Procedure for obtaining information
Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.
Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged
Any citizen who is desirous of obtaining any information under this Act shall make a request in writing to the appropriate information officer, specifying the particulars of the information requested for:
Provided that where any citizen making a request under this subsection is unable due to any reason to make such request in writing, such citizen shall be entitled to make the request orally and it shall be the duty of the appropriate information officer to reduce such request to writing on behalf of the citizen.
Where a citizen –
wishes to make a request to a public authority; or
has made a request to a public authority which does not comply with the requirements of this
Act, the information officer concerned shall take all necessary steps to assist the citizen, free of charge, to make the request in a manner that complies with this Act.
On receipt of a request, an information officer shall immediately provide a written acknowledgement of the request to the citizen.
Where an information officer is able to provide an immediate response to a citizen making a request and such response is to the satisfaction of the requester, the information officer shall make and retain a record of the request and the response thereto.
A citizen making a request for information shall:–
provide such details concerning the information requested as is reasonably necessary to enable the information officer to identify the information;
identify the nature of the form and language in which the citizen prefers access;
where the citizen making the request believes that the information is necessary to safeguard the life or liberty of a person, include a statement to that effect, including the basis for that belief;
and
not be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any other personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him or her.
For the purpose of this section –
“writing” includes writing done through electronic means; and
“appropriate information officer” means the
Information Officer appointed to the public authority from which the information is being requested for.