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Senegal

Loi n°2025-15 relative à l'Accès à l'Information

Loi n°2025-15 relative à l'Accès à l'Information (Law No. 2025-15 on Access to Information)

RTI Rating: 71 (source)

Response Timeline

Initial Response
8 days
Extension
7 days
Residency Required
Citizen_or_resident

Initial response required within 8 working days of receipt. May be extended to a maximum of 15 working days total from receipt (Articles 18-19). Urgent requests receive expedited response within a timeline allowing the requester to fulfill the service or commitment necessitating the request (Article 21).

How to Submit a Request

Accepted Methods

  • {'notes': 'Written request required (Article 14). Specific submission channels not detailed in law', 'method': 'written'}

Requests must be in writing and include identity/position of requester, date of request, and specific description of requested information. Law does not explicitly specify whether electronic submission is permitted. Article 13: Senegalese citizens OR legal residents OR entities regularly established in Senegal may request.

Required Elements

  • Identity and position/status (qualité) of requester
  • Date of request
  • Specific description of requested information

Fees

Access is free under Article 22. Reproduction and transmission costs may apply but cannot exceed actual expenses. No central fee-setting authority exists; individual bodies establish their own fee structures within cost limitation.

Exemptions

  • National Defense Secret
    Information classified as national defense secrets
  • Investigation Secret
    Information protected under investigation secrecy
  • Judicial Deliberation Secret
    Secrecy of judicial deliberations
  • Judicial Instruction Secret
    Secrecy of judicial instruction proceedings
  • Attorney-Client Privilege
    Lawyer-client confidential communications
  • Medical Secret
    Medical confidentiality and patient information
  • Industrial and Commercial Secrets
    Proprietary business information and trade secrets
  • Government Deliberation Secret
    Secrecy of executive deliberations
  • Other Legal Secrets
    Any other secrets protected by existing laws (catch-all clause)
  • Personal Data Protection
    Personal data including value judgments about named individuals and behavioral information that could cause prejudice

Law lists 9 protected secret categories in Article 2, plus personal data restrictions in Article 3. Critical weaknesses: no harm test required for disclosure refusal, no public interest override provision, overbroad exceptions for privacy and executive deliberations, and broad catch-all clause. RTI Rating scored 8/30 for exceptions section due to these deficiencies.

Appeal Process

1

1

2

2

Appeals handled by independent CONAI authority (free), with judicial review available as second tier. Significant weaknesses: no internal review procedures, appeal timelines not yet established (awaiting implementing decree), unclear binding authority of CONAI decisions, no power to review classified documents. RTI Rating scored appeals 11/30 points.

Sources & References