As part of Sunshine Week, the Office of Open Records released its Annual Report for 2015. This post and the next several will take a look at some of the information included in that report.

The Office of Open Records officially opened its doors on January 1, 2009. In the first full year of operation, 1,155 appeals were filed. In 2015, that number was more than 250% higher.

In fact, 2015 was the busiest year ever — by far — for the OOR. The total of 2,926 appeals eclipsed the previous record of 2,478 appeals filed in 2013.

Beyond the numbers, the complexity of cases before the OOR also increased significantly in 2015. As both requesters and agencies gain experience with the RTKL, and as the body of case law develops, appeals tend to present more complicated and nuanced issues for the OOR to decide.

The complete Office of Open Records 2015 Annual Report is available on our website (along with previous years).