Disclosure of other information 

We can only disclose documents that are deemed to be official documents as defined by law. 

A document is an official document 

• if it is in the possession of the authority
• if the authority has prepared it or someone else has prepared it on the basis of a commission by the authority
• if it has been submitted to the authority for consideration of a matter or for the performance of a task. 

As a rule, the following documents are not considered official documents:

• internal memos prepared by the authority
• documents delivered to public authorities or elected officials that have been sent to them because of the other tasks they perform or other positions they hold
• documents obtained by a public authority for internal training, information retrieval or other similar purposes.

Relevant Act: Section 5 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities

You have the right to access an official document that is public. If a document is not yet public, for example due to the incomplete nature of the matter, the authority may decide whether to provide information on the document. 

When your data request concerns a public document, you do not need to give reasons for the request or state the purpose for which the information would be used.

Relevant Act: Section 9 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency may only provide information on a confidential official document or its content if so provided in the Act. 

If only part of the document is confidential, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency may provide information on the public part of the document. However, information will only be provided if it can be ensured that none of the confidential information is disclosed to outsiders.

Relevant Act: Section 10 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities

Everyone has the right to be informed of documents concerning their own guardianship or continuing power of attorney affairs. In addition, when a person under guardianship or the assignor of power of attorney has died, their heirs have the right to be informed of the documents concerning guardianship or continuing power of attorney.  

The right to access information is restricted when proving access to the information would be contrary to important private or public interests.

• In this context, important private interests may concern the protection of privacy (such as details of illnesses), safety of an individual, or the protection of trade secrets.
• An important public interest, on the other hand, may be associated with such things as jeopardising the supervision of the guardianship authority and the implementation of its purpose.
• Furthermore, a public authority may not be able to provide details of a document when the matter is still pending. In that case, the public authority in question may provide details of the matter at its discretion.

Relevant legislation: Sections 11 and 12 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities

You have the right to get information from the authority on the contents of a non-public document that may influence or may have influenced the consideration of your case. A party to the matter means the applicant, appellant or other persons whose rights, interests or obligations the matter concerns. 

The right to access information is restricted when proving access to the information would be contrary to important private or public interests.

• In this context, important private interests may concern the protection of privacy (such as details of illnesses), safety of an individual, or the protection of trade secrets.
• An important public interest, on the other hand, may be associated with such things as jeopardising the supervision of the guardianship authority and the implementation of its purpose.
• Furthermore, a public authority may not be able to provide details of a document when the matter is still pending. In that case, the public authority in question may provide details of the matter at its discretion.

Moreover, a person who is a party to the matter can only be granted access to presentation memoranda, draft decisions or similar documents produced for the preparation of a matter after the public authority in question has considered the matter.

Relevant legislation: Sections 11 and 12 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities

The processing of an extensive and unspecified data request is difficult and costly for both the client and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The agency may thus have to charge a fee for processing such requests.

The information entered in the Register of Guardianship Affairs is stored for ten years from the end of the guardianship or continuing power of attorney. 

The information in our case management systems is stored in accordance with our internal regulations, in some respects permanently.

We process all data requests without delay. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency will provide the requested information about a public document within two weeks of receiving the data request. If you have requested access to a large number of documents or the processing requires special measures, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will make its decision on the matter within 30 days of receiving the data request. 

Relevant Act: Section 14.4 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities

As a rule, we will provide information about the content of the document in our possession in one of the following ways:

• as a technical recording or in other electronic format
• as a printout or as a copy of the original
• orally.

Relevant Act: Section 16 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities

If the Digital and Population Data Services Agency cannot provide the document or information about the document, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will inform the requesting party that the information cannot be provided. At the same time, the requester is informed that they can be sent an appealable decision on the matter if they so wish.

Relevant Act: Section 14 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities

As a rule, the information and documents provided by the guardianship authority are free of charge. However, an extract from the Register of Guardianship Affairs is subject to a fee. 

A fee may be charged for the provision of documents if the number of documents requested is particularly high and therefore more time than normal is needed to process the document request. If a fee is charged, the person requesting the information will be informed of the fee before the information is sent.

Relevant legislation: Section 34 (Charges) of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities and Act on Criteria for Charges payable to the State

If we are unable to provide the information you requested, you will receive a written decision on the decision. 

If the answer to your information request has not been comprehensive enough, you can make a more detailed request to the agency. If, despite making a more detailed request, you still think that you have not received the requested information, you may appeal against the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s decision to an Administrative Court.