Opinion ID: 2331490
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Purpose of the APRA

Text: A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. [5] The Rhode Island General Assembly has effectively codified this philosophy by enacting the APRA and stating that the purpose of such legislation is as follows: The public's right to access to records pertaining to the policy making responsibilities of government and the individual's right to dignity and privacy are bothrecognized to be principles of the utmost importance in a free society. The purpose of this chapter is to facilitate public access to governmental records which pertain to the policy making functions of public bodies and/or are relevant to the public health, safety, and welfare. It is also the intent of this chapter to protect from disclosure information about particular individuals maintained in the files of public bodies when disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Section 38-2-1. Consequently, this Court has long adhered to this purpose and recognized that the underlying policy of the APRA is the promotion of the free flow and disclosure of information to the public. Providence Journal Co. v. Sundlun, 616 A.2d 1131, 1134 (R.I. 1992); Hydron Laboratories, Inc. v. Department of Attorney General, 492 A.2d 135, 137 (R.I.1985). Accordingly, in construing the APRA this Court is sensitive to the General Assembly's explicitly stated intent provided in § 38-2-1. See The Rake v. Gorodetsky, 452 A.2d 1144, 1147 (R.I.1982).