PART III

 Publication of, and Access to, Certain Documents and Information


   [20. Publication setting out functions of Departments and
 organisations---(1) The [[Ministry of Justice]] shall cause to be
 published, not later than the end of the year 1989, a publication that
 includes in respect of each Department and each organisation,---
   (a) A description of its structure, functions, and responsibilities
         including those of any of its statutory officers or advisory
         committees; and
   (b) A general description of the categories of documents held by it;
         and
   (c) A description of all manuals, and similar types of documents which
         contain policies, principles, rules, or guidelines in accordance
         with which decisions or recommendations are made in respect of
         any person or body of persons in his or her or its personal
         capacity; and
   (d) A statement of any information that needs to be available to
         members of the public who wish to obtain official information
         from the Department or organisation, which statement shall
         include particulars of the officer or officers to whom requests
         for official information or particular classes of information
         should be sent.


   (2) The [[Ministry of Justice]] shall, at intervals of not more than 2
 years, bring the material contained in the publication published under
 subsection (1) of this section up to date either by publishing a new
 edition of that publication or by publishing supplementary material.


   (3) Each Department and each organisation shall assist the [[Ministry
 of Justice]] to comply with subsections (1) and (2) of this section and
 shall supply to the [[Ministry of Justice]] such information as it
 requires for the purposes of those subsections.


   (4) In complying with subsections (1) and (2) of this section, the
 [[Ministry of Justice]] shall have regard, among other things, to the
 need to assist members of the public to obtain official information and
 to effectively exercise their rights under this Act.


   (5) Where there is good reason under section 6 or section 7 or section
 9 (2) (b) of this Act for withholding official information, nothing in
 this section requires the publication of that official information.]

       This section was substituted for the original s. 20 (as variously
     amended) by s. 3 of the Official Information Amendment Act 1989.
       In subss. (1), (2), (3) and (4) the reference to the Ministry of
     Justice was substituted for a reference to the Department of Justice
     by s. 10 (3) of the Department of Justice (Restructuring) Act 1995.