Article 11: The head of the access to information service of the public body or affiliated structure
to whom a request is referred is obliged to provide assistance to the requestor and to respond in a
maximum of 20 working days in clear, precise and complete language.
Where a request concerns information that can save the life or liberty of a person, the deadline to
respond is reduced to 48 hours maximum.
Where the respect of the deadline mentioned in paragraph 1 of the present article will seriously
hamper operations because of difficulties associated with finding this information, the public
body or affiliated body concerned, can send a written notification of extension before the
expiration of the deadline. This extension should not go beyond 30 working days.
Where an administration or service does not possess the information requested, it is required to
assist the requestor to identify the administration or service that holds the information.
Article 12: The head of a public body and/or assimilated structure who provides a favourable
response to a request for access to information, must state the modalities of providing it and any
fees due as the case may be.
He can notably provide for consultation of all or in part of the document within the premises of
the service having the information, provide a copy or photocopy of the document requested, or a
compilation or resume of the information requested on paper or electronic form.
Article 13: Any denial of access to information or a document that is available must be justified
by provisions of this law.
Subject only to the exceptions listed in articles 16 and 17 of this organic law; all authorities to
whom a request for information is sent should provide a response.
Silence on the part of any authority of a public body or affiliated structure who has received a
request for information constitutes a breach of duty punishable by sanctions provided in articles
156 and 157 of the penal code.
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