Section 1: In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires–

“Commission” means the Information Commission established by section 30; “fees notice” means a notice in writing stating that a fee of an amount specified in the notice is to be charged by the public authority for complying with section 2. “historical record” means a record which was created twenty or more years before the coming into operation of this Act; “information” includes any material regardless of its physical form or characteristics, such as a book, plan, map, drawing, film, microfiche, diagram, pictorial or graphic work, data, photograph, recording, audio or video-tape, machine-readable material or any other information held in electronic form, and also includes any sample, work, model or copy thereof; “Minister” means the Minister responsible for information; “official” means any person employed by a public authority, whether permanently or temporarily and whether part-time or full-time, and includes consultants working directly as individuals for the authority; “personal information” means information about an identifiable individual which contains intimate details in respect of which that individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy; Interpretation. “private body” means a natural person who carries on a trade, business or profession, but only in such capacity or a partnership or juristic person which carries on a trade, business or profession, but does not include a public authority; “public information officer” means a person appointed under section 28- “public authority” includes any body– (a) established by or under the Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991; (b) established by statute; (c) which forms part of any level or branch of Government; (d) owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided by Government; (e) carrying out a statutory or public function; or (f) a body or organisation that receives monies on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone; “publish” means to make available in a form generally accessible to members of the public and includes print, broadcast and electronic forms of information dissemination; PART II–THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION