Requests for Information should be made to an Information Officer by completing and handing over a request preferably in the manner prescribed in the Form RTI , although this is not mandatory.
01. Upon making the request for information either in verbal or written form obtain the written acknowledgment from the Information Officer.
02. The decision whether to grant the information or not shall be given as expeditiously as possible and in any case within 14 days.
03. If a decision is made to provide the information, the information officer will inform the citizen making the request that the information will be provided on the payment of a fee in accordance with the Fee Schedule prescribed by the Right to Information Commission. If the information is subject to payment of fee, the information shall be provided within 14 days of the payment. Information will be provided within 14 days of the decision if there is no requirement to pay a fee.
04. If, after payment of fees the information cannot be provided within 14 days, the person making the request will be informed that there will be a further extension period – up to a maximum of 21 days – to provide the information and given reasons for the extension.
05. When the request relates to the life and personal liberty of a citizen the information officer shall provide a response to the request within 48 hours.
06. An appeal may be made in situations where,
i.The Information Officer refuses a request made for information
ii.The Information Officer refuses access to the information on the ground that such information is exempted from being granted under Section 5
iii. Non -compliance with time frames specified in the Act
iv. The Information Officer granted incomplete, misleading or false information
v. The Information Officer charged excessive fees
vi. The Information Officer refused to provide information in the form requested
vii. The citizen making the request had reasonable grounds to believe that information has been deformed, destroyed or misplaced to prevent him/her from having access to the information
An appeal to the Designated Officer is to be made within 14 days.
Read the full text of the act as PDF: RTI offcial act, Sri Lanka