Reference Information for the

Michigan Freedom of Information Act

Public Act 442 of 1976

Chapter 15, Sections 15.231 to 15.246, of the Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL)

The Michigan Freedom of Information Committee has collected and summarized a number of relatively recent court cases interpreting the state’s FOIA statute. I have received permission to post some of MFOIC’s Webpages here.

      • Summaries of cases from 1997-1999

      • Summaries of cases from 2000-2002

      • Summaries of cases from 2003-2005

      • Summaries of cases in 2006

These pages also have links to some of the cases summarized. If you have problems getting one of the case links to work, you may be able to find the cases with one of the opinion searches at the Michigan Court of Appeals Website:

      http://CoA.courts.MI.gov/resources/opinions.htm

Also, MFOIC is reportedly working on a third edition of a book chapter on Michigan freedom-of-information law. When that chapter is ready, it may also be made available here.

If you are interested in finding out more about MFOIC, please contact Professor Benjamin Burns.

Other References

The Attorney General’s Website gathers some FOIA links on this Webpage:

      http://www.Michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-17337_18160---,00.html

The links can take you to

      • an updated copy of the text of the statute;

      • a summary of the statute done in 2002; and

• lists of important FOIA-related court cases and Attorney General’s opinions (with summaries) from 1976, when FOIA became law, up to 1998.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has posted “Open Government Guides” for each state. RCFP’s OGG page for Michigan gives details on our state’s FOIA and our Open Meetings Act. It is here. (Note: This page uses frames.)

      http://www.RCFP.org/OGG/index.php?op=browse&state=MI

If you have suggestions for other sources of information about FOIA which should be mentioned here, please tell me!

last updated:     May 12, 2009