Latest news with #publicTrust
South China Morning Post
10-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Driverless bus incident points to Hong Kong's need for AI governance
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@ or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification On June 22, two driverless buses collided at an intersection at Hong Kong International Airport. No injuries occurred and damage was minor. Yet the Airport Authority suspended autonomous bus services, which suggests how quickly public trust can evaporate without robust artificial intelligence (AI) governance. This was no isolated glitch. According to the authority, both buses arrived simultaneously at an uncontrolled junction. Their sensors failed to coordinate a right-of-way decision – a known edge case in autonomous systems. Hong Kong is investing billions in AI, from supercomputers to smart traffic. But leadership requires more than funding; it demands accountable governance. Unlike the European Union's AI Act (set to take full effect in 2026), which would classify autonomous buses as 'high-risk' systems, Hong Kong relies primarily on guidelines. There is no legal obligation for operators to follow internationally recognised protocols for pre-deployment testing or third-party audits of AI safety, for instance. Had ISO 42001 certification been required, the operator would likely have implemented continuous monitoring to detect and resolve sensor conflict before deployment. Under the EU AI Act's risk-based framework, real-time human oversight would be mandatory for systems of this kind.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Accidentally released document offers insight into Tasmania's Right to Information laws
Experts say access to information frameworks is "totally crucial" for maintaining trust in governments — and that trust can be undermined if governments have a tendency to not disclose information. Right to Information (RTI) — similar to Freedom of Information in other jurisdictions — gives members of the public legal rights to access public-interest information from the government. If working well, greater accountability and public trust could result, Johan Lidberg, an access to information researcher at Monash University, said. "A well-functioning [RTI] act and system act as a check and balance and accountability mechanism on how governments use their power," he said. A rare mistake in the government Department of Justice's redaction process meant a document was released to the ABC in full. It outlined the "stress" and "anxiety" of prison staff managing youth in watch houses. Children as young as 10 years old can be held in adult prison watch houses while awaiting police interview, court or bail, in conditions outlined by the Tasmanian custodial inspector and by correctional officers to a parliamentary inquiry earlier this year. The Tasmanian Greens have reiterated calls to end the detention of children in watch houses, while Liberal Party leader Jeremy Rockliff said the situation was "unacceptable". Labor leader Dean Winter called for improved transparency. Public authorities are meant to favour disclosing as much information as possible when dealing with RTI requests, Dr Lidberg said. RTI offices within government departments release information in line with legislation. There are exemptions permitting some types of information to not be released if they are first deemed outside the public interest or harmful to it, or "out of scope" of the RTI request. If the person requesting information is unhappy with the decision, they can request an internal review of it — and if still dissatisfied, an external review by the Tasmanian Ombudsman. The past two years have seen more than 80 per cent of external reviews result in the ombudsman changing or setting aside the public authority's decision. "This continues to reflect a very high percentage of errors in decision-making (though it is noted that some variations to decisions are of a minor nature)," the ombudsman wrote in its last annual report. In this case, the ABC was told exemptions used were "personal details of a person" and "internal deliberative material". Dr Lidberg said there were "no identifiers at all, so that whole exemption falls from releasing information". "I can't see why they would argue that this is not in the highest public interest," he said. But most redactions were made due to the information being "out of scope" of the journalist's request for "complaints, concerns or similar regarding children and young people being held in an adult remand facility". After reviewing the document, the ABC published a story on watch houses using information the department intended to black out due to being "out of scope" but, by accident, did not. See more details of the ABC's request, the information provided and relevant parts of the RTI Act, here. The department was asked to respond to Dr Lidberg's comment that the "personal details" exemption should not apply. The ABC also asked why it marked information "out of scope" that appeared to relate to its request. The department said: "A statement outlining the reasons for withholding information accompanies each decision." "If an applicant is dissatisfied with the decision they may seek a review which can be escalated to the ombudsman for external review if required," it said. The difficulties in accessing information in Tasmania have been previously reported on, with it more common for public authorities to refuse information in Tasmania than anywhere else in Australia. Dr Lidberg said resourcing of RTI offices was a major issue with RTI systems across Australia. Referencing skills gaps, backlogs and delays, the ombudsman said: "Tasmanians want, and deserve, an accountable and open government and a seeming lack of motivation to improve the RTI system is hindering that being achieved." The Tasmanian government also acknowledged this and other issues in its current efforts to improve the RTI framework. An independent review of Tasmania's RTI system was due on June 30 this year. However, it has been delayed a month due to the state election. Dr Lidberg said research of Australian RTI frameworks — albeit not Tasmania's — had also found instances of pressure being applied to withhold information. "When an RTI request is seen as controversial, the FOI [or RTI] officer then flags that to the coordinator, their supervisor, and it climbs up the chain, and quite often all the way to the political department," he said. "We have noted and there is evidence of pressure being put on FOI coordinators to use the exemption sections of the act to redact or not release information." The Department of Justice told the ABC there was no pressure on the RTI office when assessing its request. Dr Lidberg said governments could stop a "culture of secrecy" by addressing resourcing problems. Applying the laws appropriately depended on how important "leaders" thought public access to information was, he said. "We've seen multiple times with updates of acts and amendments and so on [that] when you change the letter of the law, it doesn't seem to affect culture as much," he said. He said healthy disclosure systems could be a "win-win" for governments. The ABC requested details of: "Complaints, concerns or similar regarding children and young people being held in an adult remand facility and related correspondence from 2022 to 2025." One 14-page document was given to the ABC titled "Engaging with Young People Training — Issues and Responses". It included a one-page introduction and then a table with two columns — one outlining staff-raised issues with dealing with young people in watch houses and the other with the department's written response to the issue. It was initially completely unredacted but with red outline boxes left around some sections, and then, minutes later a version with those boxes redacted was sent through in which almost all the document was redacted. The initial introduction as well as some sections on pages 2 and 3 were left unredacted. No staff or detainees were named in the document. The department said redactions were made according to the following parts of Tasmania's Right to Information Act: Exemptions subject to public interest test Section 35 — 'Internal deliberative information' I consider that disclosing the above listed items, which contain material compiled by departmental officers may contain information which is wrong or inaccurate — see clause (u) of Schedule 1. The material contains records of ongoing consultations between officers, including material which is deliberative in nature. It is also important to note that the material relates to exchanges by relatively junior Departmental employees and there is no information to indicate their views would be adopted as a formal policy. I also consider that the nature of the comments of Departmental officers are deliberate in nature and should not be disclosed. Officers must feel free to provide their opinions, advice and recommendations, and to participate openly in consultative and deliberative processes, in order for decision and action resulting from those processes to be robust. The overriding public interest consideration is the need to ensure that there is a frank exchange of views between officers when making decisions. The disclosure of consultations or deliberations would likely prevent such exchanges from occurring, with a consequent detrimental impact on good decision-making. Further, it would also lead to a reluctance to document the reasons for decision, with a consequent loss in transparency in the decision-making process. Section 36 — 'Personal information of a person' I consider that disclosing the personal information of members of the public would be detrimental to the interests of those persons — see clause (m) of Schedule 1. The personal information of people who have been held at a watch-house is not in the public domain and those persons might suffer discrimination by reason of their having been in these facilities if disclosed. As a consequence of the above, I am of the opinion that the factor favouring disclosure are outweighed by those against disclosure and it is not in the public interest to provide the personal information of a members of the public. 'Information out of scope' I consider that part of the material contains information which is out of scope of your request. The relevant material has been redacted and marked accordingly.
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Police hit out at 'distraction of non-crime hate incidents' as officers forced to waste time investigating cases like a nine-year-old who called a fellow pupil a 'r*****' and two schoolgirls who said a child smelled 'like fish'
Britain's top police chiefs have warned that recording 'non-crime hate incidents' has become a 'distraction' which is damaging public trust. Sir Andy Marsh who leads the College of Policing, Greater Manchester chief Sir Stephen Watson and Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy have jointly called for an overhaul of the legislation saying it needs 'sorting out' because the issue can do 'immeasurable damage to trust and confidence' in policing. Launching a new leadership programme for policing, the trio spoke candidly about the need for future chief constables to communicate to the public how they are going to 'cut crime, catch criminals, keep people safe,' instead of wasting time on 'hurty words'. It comes after a series of controversial cases, including officers responding to incidents such as a nine-year-old pupil calling another a 'retard' and an occasion when two secondary schoolgirls said that a child smelled 'like fish'. More than 133,000 non-crime hate incidents have been recorded since they were introduced in 2014. But in November the Home Secretary announced a review following a request from the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing, which sets standards. Yesterday Sir Stephen said: 'It's easy to assume that we have some sort of weird fetish chasing stuff in social media, frankly we would rather really not if we can avoid it. 'In the context of things that are communicated online, people will accuse us sometimes of pursuing hurty words on the basis, somehow, it's an attack on free speech.' He added: 'I do think it has become a distraction. It has become something that the public trouble themselves over and particularly when they contrast our being seen to do things which they would argue are not matters for the police – and in certain examples they are right – contrast that with some of our failures to do some of the basics and that really annoys people.' Ms Kennedy added: 'Non-crime hate incidents are having a disproportionate impact on trust and confidence in policing and we absolutely need to sort that out in terms of what is the role of policing. 'We also need to be clear that our officers are not spending hours and hours and hours dealing with these jobs every day… But the reason we do need to sort it out is because of the disproportionate impact it has on policing every time we hear about one of these stories.' Sir Andy told the Mail: 'When policing gets it wrong, it causes immeasurable damage to trust and confidence.'
Zawya
20-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Jordan: Citizen satisfaction with gov't service centres reaches 95.5% — Ministry
AMMAN — Citizen satisfaction with the ease of procedures and overall experience at government service centres reached 95.5 per cent, according to the results of a comprehensive survey conducted by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship during the first quarter of this year. The survey, aimed at measuring key performance indicators and the quality of government services, revealed significant progress in service delivery across centres nationwide, according to a ministry statement. Ministry's Secretary General Samira Zoubi said the findings reflect noticeable improvements in the performance of service centres, as well as enhanced user experience and more streamlined procedures. 'These results are a clear sign that our efforts to place the citizen at the core of development policies are bearing fruit,' Zoubi said, adding that the ministry remains committed to delivering efficient, seamless services within an integrated and accessible environment that meets citizens' evolving needs and expectations. Zoubi noted that other performance indicators also showed high levels of satisfaction. The overall service quality index reached 91.7 per cent, while the Net Promoter Score (NPS), measuring citizens' likelihood to recommend services to others, stood at 85.6 per cent, indicating growing public trust in government services. She emphasised that these positive outcomes highlight the success of the ministry's collaborative approach with various government institutions, aimed at building citizen confidence in public services. She also stressed that citizen feedback remains central to the continuous development and long-term improvement of service quality. The announcement follows the release of results from the citizen satisfaction survey, which targeted visitors to government service centres across all governorates. The survey assessed multiple aspects of performance and user experience, in line with the ministry's broader efforts to drive digital transformation and enhance the efficiency of public services. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Non-crime hate incidents should be scrapped, says ‘anti-woke' police chief
Non-crime hate incidents have gone too far and should be scrapped, the head of Greater Manchester Police has said. Sir Stephen Watson said the policy had been introduced with good intentions but was now past its 'sell-by date'. He stressed it was not the job of the police to involve themselves in people's arguments, and said the collection of non-crime hate incident data had fuelled the accusations of two-tier policing. In a speech to the Policy Exchange think tank, the Chief Constable, who was knighted in the King's recent birthday honours list, urged police forces to get back to basics in order to restore public trust and confidence. He also hit out at the impact human rights legislation was having on policing, saying it was not right that foreign criminals who 'fecklessly fathered children' could then avoid deportation by claiming the right to a family life. A non-crime hate incident is defined as an incident that falls short of being criminal but is perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person with a particular characteristic. Non-crime hate incidents were introduced in 2014 following recommendations made in the Macpherson Report into the racist killing of Stephen Lawrence. They are intended to provide forces with an intelligence picture of community tensions and help them understand where problems might suddenly arise, but have often resulted in police intervening in social media spats, with critics claiming they have a chilling effect on free speech. There are also concerns that they serve as a distraction for stretched police officers, who would be better off concentrating on serious crime. Asked if he believed whether the policy of collecting non-crime hate incident data should be scrapped, Sir Stephen said: 'Simple answer – yes, I think it should. I think the policy has passed its sell-by date.' He said it was the 'antithesis' of doing the basics and was at odds with the public perception of what was right. Sir Stephen conceded that the policy was introduced so police could have a better understanding of vulnerable people in their communities. But he added: 'What it morphed into was pretty much anybody with a protected characteristic who perceived themselves to be a victim of an incident, because of that, was automatically recorded. I think that's a mistake, and I think it went too far.' Sir Stephen was also critical of the impact some areas of the Human Rights Act was having on policing and confidence in the justice system. He said: 'The Human Rights Act is part of the panoply of the legislative machinery within which we have to operate. And candidly, you know, as a police officer it is less helpful for me to pontificate on what the legislative framework should look like. It's simply observing what it is and faithfully serving it in the public interest. 'However, there are manifestations of the Human Rights Act, which I think impacts policing and society more generally, I mean classically, foreign national offenders and the ability to deport people. 'It seems to me that is entirely unhelpful, particularly when people are simply claiming on the basis of having, very often, fecklessly fathered the number of children in our country, that they somehow shouldn't be deported because they have the right to a family life. Well, I suspect most of the public beg to differ.' Greater Manchester Police was in special measures when Sir Stephen was appointed four years ago, but he has turned the force around thanks to a traditional, no-nonsense approach to policing. He said getting the basics correct was vital if police forces were to deliver what the public expected. He added: 'It's picking up the phone, it's getting to people. It's turning up looking like you can pull the skin off a rice pudding. 'It's about being smart, it's about being professional, it's about being compassionate, it's about being diligent. 'It's about understanding the law, and it's about demonstrating to the public that you care and you're hungry to help because they don't ring us because they want to talk to us, they ring us because bad things are happening in their lives, things that are causing them and their families great consternation. 'It's about recording all crime faithfully, it is about investigating every reasonable line of enquiry for a single crime, and it's about locking people up. And it's about doing all of this with vim and vigour to demonstrate to the public that we're there to be relied upon.'
