The Justice Department Underscores the Need for FOIA ‘Presumption of Openness’

New guidance comes at the start of the annual “Sunshine Week” promoting open government.

By Courtney Buble, Gov’t Exec., Mar. 13, 2023

The Justice Department issued new Freedom of Information Act guidelines on Monday, underscoring the need to have a “presumption of openness.” 

The release came at the beginning of the annual Sunshine Week, which promotes open government, and follows related guidance Attorney General Merrick Garland issued last March. Federal agencies reached a record high of 928,353 information requests in fiscal 2022, and processed a record high of 878,420, according to recently released statistics from the Justice Department. Yet despite the high number of requests processed, the backlog of pending requests increased by 34%. Delays in receiving records requests and redactions in requests received have long frustrated journalists, transparency advocates, lawmakers and others who make use of FOIA.

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