The new Right-To-Know Law, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., which takes effect on July 8, 2002, ushers in a brave new world in the area of public access to information and records held by public entities with significant responsibilities and potential pitfalls for government officials and the attorneys advising them.
The existing Right-To-Know Law essentially provides that only documents that a government entity is required to maintain on file are presumptively available to the public on request. The new Right-To-Know Law provides that all government documents, unless specifically excluded by the law, are presumptively available.
