The Act creates a right of access. Prior to 1 December 1982, the release of information held by agencies was, as a rule, a matter of discretion and the agency was entitled to withhold information without having to justify its actions unless there was a requirement to disclose the information.
Royal Commissions have like powers.
The Act sets out the circumstances in which access can be denied as a matter of discretion. The FOI Act is not a code. It does not prevent or discourage the giving of access to any exempt document to which access can lawfully be given other than under the Act. It is a minimum not a maximum standard. It does not apply to Parliament or Parliamentary departments.