Information concerning police and other bodies investigations which may jeopardize personal privacy and presumption of innocence, must not leak into the public, said Ambassador Michael Davenport.

Access to Information of Public Importance is an inalienable right, that must not be misused for violating the presumption of innocence, Head of the European Delegation to the Republic of Serbia,Michael Davenport, said today.

According to him, “Information concerning police and other bodies investigations which may jeopardize personal privacy and presumption of innocence, must not leak into the public”.

It is disturbing that there is an information “leak, always towards the same media”, said Davenport at the Conference on Free Access to Information and Data Protection.

On the other hand, Davenport emphasized, media as “a keeper of public interest” have an inalienable right to receive information from state institutions.

He reminded that the Access to Information of Public Importance and Data Protection are covered by the chapters 23 and 24, and he announced that Brussels will pay attention to these fields, during the negotiations.

According to Davenport, the balance between the principle of Access to Information of Public Importance and Data Protection is key for developing modern society, despite the challenges of the modern times.

In Serbia, the right to Data Protection is guaranteed by the Constitution and by corresponding laws, Davenport pointed out, and he regards the implementation of these norms as a key challenge.

President of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia(NUNS), Vukašin Obradović, warned that frequently happens that in media “the information is often disclosed from verified sources, which not only jeopardizes the right to privacy, but legal procedures as well.”

According to him, what is also concerning is the selectivity in access of information, since some of the media receive exclusive information in the field of Justice.

The leader of the GIZ project Legal Reform in Serbia, Mike Falke, points out that the balance between the access to information and data protection is a challenge which is discussed in Germany, as well as in other Member States, above all because of the occurrence of new technologies.

Falke considers transparency of justice system to be the key for public confidence.