Progressive Labour Party Senator Walton Brown said an act giving the public a right to request Government information represented "transformational legislation".

According to Sen. Brown, as a researcher for many years, he had to "fight" to get archives from publicly funded bodies.

He said: "I do not think people really appreciate what (PATI) provides. It provides fair opportunity for younger scholars to come along and get information.

"Their work is crucial for us to get a better understanding of our past so that we can be better informed about the decisions we make today."

Through his own research the Senator claimed there were questions that remain unanswered, for example, about the 1977 hangings of Erskine "Buck" Burrows and Larry Tacklyn.

He said: "These two men were executed. The British Government said it was the responsibility of the Bermuda Government to decide.

"The Bermuda Government said it was the British responsibility on the final decision to execute. PATI should help us get to the decisions made by cabinet at that time."

All senators in the Upper House gave their approval of the Public Access to Information Act 2010, which was passed yesterday.

The long awaited bill incorporated many of the 500 suggestions put forward from the public. It will give people a statutory right to request and obtain information, explained Minister of Home Affairs Sen. David Burch.

Sen. Burch said: "The purpose of the bill is to make government more effective and transparent. This bill is for the people that want more insight into the workings of Government."

He added: "We also have to be realistic. Having been a minister in this Government for some time, this is not a magic bullet to be able to get information out of a system that is entirely still manual."

According to Junior Minister of Tourism, Sen. Marc Bean, seeing the bill passed was one of his "proudest days" to participate in Government.

Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes said: "It certainly has been well scrutinised and I do not think anyone can say they didn't have a chance to have their feelings heard. And lets hope it will be used wisely."

United Bermuda Party Senator Jeanne Atherden and Independent Senator Joan Dillas Wright also showed their support for the bill.

Sen. Brown said: "This bill will help us to get a bigger truth and the more you understand the issues that helped to shape this country the more you can understand where we are going.

"In closing this is transformational legislation. It will live on because each successive generation will have access to more and better information. This will be of immense benefit to us all."