Act No. 16 relating to the right of access to documents held by public authorities and public undertakings.

The purpose of this Act is to facilitate an open and transparent public administration, thereby strengthening freedom of information and expression, democratic participation, legal safeguards for the individual, confidence in the public authorities and control by the public. The general rule is that case documents, journals and similar registers of an administrative agency shall be public, except as otherwise provided by statute or regulations. Any person may apply to an administrative agency for access to case documents, journals and similar registers of that administrative agency. The Act specifies what shall be considered to be a document and when such document shall be considered to be public. The Act does not apply to the Parliament, the Office of the Auditor General, and the Norwegian Parliamentary Ombudsman.