Court orders the Chernivtsi Trolleybus Administration to provide requested information to journalists

The Chernivtsi District Administrative Court declared the refusal by the utility company "Chernivtsi Trolleybus Administration" to provide public information to journalists with the Khmelnytsky media outlet ZHAR.INFO, to be unlawful.

The judgement was passed on April 25, 2024, fully satisfying the lawsuit filed by journalist Alyona Bereza.

The court ordered the utility company to provide the editors with public information within five working days from the date the ruling was issued. However, the company may appeal the court's decision.

On October 20, 2023, the media outlet sent a request for public information to the company, asking for scanned copies of documents related to the introduction of an automated payment accounting system in the Chernivtsi passenger transport.

The company responded by saying that the requested information "can be obtained from publicly available sources." Disagreeing with such an reply, the editors filed a lawsuit

Oksana Maksymeniuk, the chief lawyer of the IRPD (Institute for Regional Press Development) and ZHAR.INFO's defense attorney in the case, advises journalists to sue in such cases.

"Journalists should sue so that the court orders the information managers to provide the public information, as court judgements will discipline the information managers: do not shirk from providing information or respond with non-answers, but process requests and provide information as the according laws require," she said.

Oksana Maksymeniuk also noted that journalists should not be afraid to file lawsuits against companies, because such judicial practice is important. According to the lawyer, court practice is currently on the side of those requesting information.