One of the hallmarks of President Barack Obama's administration is transparency and in the short span of a week we have seen him introduce a range of measures designed to introduce a far greater degree of transparency into the US government. Transparency is vital if citizens are to participate meaningfully in government and a society bound by the rule of law. CNN has a report on Obama's clever use of the Web to promote this ideal:

The new White House website is already a powerful tool for transparency. Visitors to the website can view the much publicised executive orders Obama has already issued, including the "Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel". The Bush administration was characterised, in part, by its secrecy and suspicion of the media. Obama's administration has already indicated that it stands at the other extreme.

The ANC government is hardly the epitome of transparency but South African citizens are also the beneficiaries of a relatively open approach to government content. Visitors to the Government Information portal can access a range of documents (including legislation), speeches and information about our leaders.

This is a welcome beginning but there is still a considerable about of information about and detailing the law that effectively remains under wraps and largely in the hands of private, commercial publishers. Hopefully Obama's example will gain traction here in South Africa as we approach the next general election and with what we hope is a new era of greater transparency, we may even begin to see private claimed legal materials open up more and more.