David Hamilton 🏴🇺🇦
@da.vidh.scot
Scottish Information Commissioner. Volunteer Aid Worker in Ukraine and Bosnia. Charity trustee
Some good news for a change! Did you catch @da.vidh.scot , the Scottish Information Commissioner, at #FOI Fest? You can hear his whole keynote at www.mysociety.org/podcast/foi-... and it's well worth a listen to learn what is going well... and what is still a huge challenge.
@dbanisar.bsky.social @georgegreenwood.bsky.social @petergeoghegan.bsky.social @mrosenbaum.bsky.social @mattburgess1.bsky.social @da.vidh.scot A few thoughts on forthcoming attempts to weaken NZ’s #FOI law and why it should be resisted. May resonate in England newsroom.co.nz/2026/04/04/f...
Forget false narrative about costs, the OIA needs strengthening
Comment from Victoria University: New Zealand’s democracy is under pressure, and it’s going to get worse unless we act intentionally
newsroom.co.nz
This another of these huge public interest cases where you have to wonder if requests for information on Prosecutorial decisions shouldn’t be tested by FOI regulators. www.theguardian.com/law/2025/oct...
Why has the UK dropped its trial of two alleged China spies?
Prosecutor hinted at lack of backing from Downing Street but legal experts argue prosecution was still possible
theguardian.com
Seriously impressed with Canada’s approach to disinformation. Lots to learn for UK & Scotland so we can protect elections. Eg at last Canadian elections 5 office holders tasked with protecting elections considered Intel from security agencies & briefed media on disinformation.
It’s Recruitment time again… This time I’m looking for a Business Support Manager to join our @foi.scot team Full details at www.foi.scot/current-vaca...
Today, 52-year-old Ilona Revut has died in a shelter in Kyiv due to an acute reaction to stress. A beauty parlor where Ilona was hairstylist wrote of her death. Russia doesn't always kill with direct strikes. Many Ukrainians have serious health issues after surviving Russian attacks.
“I hope this serves as the wake-up call that NHS Forth Valley need. Their FOI response times over the last 18 months have been terrible.”
Scottish Information Commissioner@foi.scot · last yr.🗞️📢 @nhsforthvalley.bsky.social on a final warning before @foi.scot issues "a highly unusual" and unprecedented enforcement notice. Failure to comply with that would be reported to the Court of Session as Contempt of Court. Read more 👉 www.foi.scot/sites/defaul...
How come we’re not called the British and Irish Leopards?
If only ScotGov had asked those who have been there. 🤷🏻♂️ Military medical aid is civil medical aid in many parts of Ukraine. Army medics treat civilians. A ridiculous caveat which will endanger the lives of the people the aid was intended to help. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/snp-...
SNP bans Ukraine from sending NHS donations to front lines
Ministers accused of ‘morally bankrupt hypocrisy’ after government officials demanded that £800,000 of medical supplies be used for ‘civilian purposes only’
thetimes.co.uk
Last week I was driving from.Satajevo to Split for the first tine in 30 years. Gave me the chance to visit Mostar and it's famous ottoman bridge as last time I was there it had been blown up by Bosnian Croats and a rope bridge erected in its place!
Yikes, the @foi.scot workload record has been smashed again. Following Aprils biggest ever number of new cases (80), May has seen another 15% increase on that to 92. We’re working flat out and are now 2/3 way through the historical backlog. Our intervention progress work is suffering though.
Another European airport and another chorus of complants and outrage at #Brexit from queues of Scots stuck at border security. Who the hell voted for this?
NHS Fife rebuked by watchdog over Sandie Peggie FOI failures www.heraldscotland.com/news/2519592... @andrewlearmonth.bsky.social
Day 177 of a non-stop #GeorgiaProtests. Let me remind you that GD banned using fireworks at the protests in January.
Two charities I am involved with, run entirely by volunteers, have just learned that @microsoft.com is slashing its software support for charities. This despite posting $70 billion in the last quarter, up 13.7%. This is their right and we’re grateful for past donations but…really?
This really is appalling. www.parliament.scot/about/news/n... A total failure of oversight by the Board. The danger is a knee jerk reaction that impacts on all the public bodies for which this kind of behaviour is an anathema.
Catalogue of failures led to issues at Scotlands water watchdog
parliament.scot
For info, Whilst we need to be cautious about comparing apples and pears, the last 4 quarter stats for Scottish Govt were 56% for full release. www.foi.scot/statistics
FOI and EIRs statistics | Scottish Information Commissioner
The public authority FOI statistics we collect can now be explored through our new interactive visual tool - find out how the authorities near you are performing!
foi.scot
Peter Geoghegan@petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 2y ago🔴 Whitehall departments responded in full to just 29% of Freedom of Information requests in 2024 - an all time low A Labour MP calls on government ‘to put an end to the culture of obfuscation’ open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
There are some extremely brave FOIA officers in the federal government - and this is a reminder that they often want to get the information out as badly as the public wants to read it.
Charlie Savage@charliesavage.bsky.social · 2y agoIn response to @freedom.press FOIA request, ODNI declassified & released an intel memo contradicting a key claim Trump made to invoke the Alien Enemies Act Confirms reporting the Trump admin characterized as false & used to justify weakening limits on leak inquiries www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/u...
President Emmanuel Macron showed how his trip to Kyiv unfolded. "There can be no dialogue while civilians are being bombed at the same time. What we need now is a ceasefire so that negotiations can begin. For peace," he said.
When people complain about red tape and health and safety gone mad, remember it's tragedies like this that we have learned from.
The issue of Significant Adverse Event Reviews (SAER) in the NHS is a complex and sensitive one. My full statement can be read at www.foi.scot/statement-pu...
Statement on the publication of Significant Adverse Event Review reports by the NHS | Scottish Information Commissioner
Statement on the publication of Significant Adverse Event Review reports
foi.scot
Much entertainment at breakfast this morning by the bomber diving wood pigeons.
In a week where we remember those who died fighting evil 80 years ago, let us also remember those who continue to do so.
Finally, finally after 2 baths, 3 showers and a sauna, I have cleansed myself of yesterdays #Knoclkhill mud. Great team building with the JKS Karate team.
Brown and white belt awarded today. 2 more to Black (and a lot of hard work ahead!)
He's done it again.. My super talented nephew Pat Hamilton has released another storming track. Available on all platforms.... sndo.ffm.to/dz7apkx
