"prescribed authority" means(a) a
local authority (a city council, town board or a village council);
(b) a public statutory corporation or body; or
(c) a body corporate or an unincorporated body, established for a public purpose, which may be
prescribed by the Minister by Order published in the Gazette;
"principal officer" means(a) in
relation to a Ministry, the Permanent Secretary of that Ministry,
(b) in relation to a Department, the Head of that Department, and
(c) in relation to a prescribed authority, the chief executive officer, general manager or other similar
officer of that authority;
"regulations" means regulations made under this Act;
"record" shall have the same meaning as assigned to the term "document";
"request" means a request for access to a document or record made in accordance with this Act;
"responsible Minister" means(a) in
relation to a Ministry - the Minister who has been assigned responsibility under the
Constitution for that Ministry, or
(b) in relation to a prescribed authority - the Minister who has been assigned responsibility under
the Constitution for the subject-matter of that authority.
(2) References in this Act to a Ministry shall include a reference to a Department of Government.
Act not to aply to courts and registries
4. For the purposes of this Act(a) a
court, or the holder of a judicial office or other office pertaining to a court, in his capacity as
the holder of that office, is not to be taken to be included in a Department;
(b) a registry or other office of a court, and the staff of such a registry or other office in their
capacity as members of that staff, shall not be taken to be part of a Department.
Office of the Governor-General not to be deemed to be a Department
5. The Office of the Governor-General shall not be deemed to be a Department of Government for
the purposes of this Act.
PART II
PUBLICATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS AND