Public access to information (PATI) legislation will be tabled in the fall, Premier Ewart Brown announced yesterday.

The Premier said a draft bill was currently being finalised after Cabinet had looked at examples of PATI in the Caribbean, UK and Europe.

"Information is power, and soon more of it will be in the hands of the people themselves," he told the House of Assembly.

The Royal Gazette's A Right To Know: Giving People Power campaign has been calling for freedom of information legislation to be introduced to Bermuda as soon as possible.

Former Premier Alex Scott instigated the plan to introduce it in 2004, but many have argued progress stalled after Dr. Brown took over as Premier two years later.

Responding to these claims, Dr. Brown told the House in a Ministerial Statement yesterday: "Our intention has never been to copy and paste as some others have, but to embark on an indigenous reformative agenda that not only fulfils this Government's commitment, but also gives the public access to information that they want, subject to reasonable and codified exceptions.

"To this end, years of work are nearly completed, culminating in a draft bill that is now being finalised.

"The Cabinet Office has consulted widely, looking both at examples of success, and where improvements could be made.

"Some may criticise the time that it has taken, but the point is not simply to get it done, but to get it done right."

Dr. Brown said the bill would meet international standards in Belize, Jamaica, Trinidad, Antigua and Barbuda and the Cayman Islands.

Policy analysts recently visited Cayman, where PATI was passed in 2007 and came into force in January.

"The key objective of the trip was to gain expert advice on how best to implement public access to information in a small island country," said Dr. Brown.

He said the initiative had been a success in Cayman, partly because attention had been paid to how civil servants comply with legislation.

"As we move towards the passage of legislation during the first term of the next Parliamentary year, planning for its implementation has already begun," said the Premier.

"I wish for Honourable Members and the people of Bermuda to note that the Government is doing its part to give the public the right to unmediated information and with rights as we know come responsibilities.

"It is for the public to make their voices heard in constructive ways by utilising the legislation, and of course for the media to accurately report on the information that they obtain."