Two overseas experts have congratulated Bermuda's citizens for commenting on a proposed freedom of information law in their hundreds.

The Cabinet Office revealed yesterday that 530 submissions have so far been received from organisations and individuals on the draft public to access (PATI) information law released last October.

The number received by the November 30 deadline was 437, with a flurry of responses handed in on December 1, and a further six submissions since then.

Lawyers Toby Mendel and Laura Neuman, visiting the Island to discuss freedom of information (FOI) with politicians and civil groups, said they were stunned by the figure.

Mr. Mendel said: "I was amazed when I heard that. Even in very large countries, you don't get that level of submission. That should send a clear sign."

And Ms Neuman added: "You need champions for openness and it's great to see 500 people commenting on a law. It's unheard of, especially when you consider the size of the population."

The pair met with MPs from all political parties to discuss the proposed law at a day-long round table discussion at Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute on Friday.

Premier Ewart Brown opened the session, which was also attended by Opposition politicians John Barritt and Cole Simons, former Premier Alex Scott, Bermuda Democratic Alliance member Shawn Crockwell, independent MP Wayne Furbert and Senate president Carol Ann Bassett.

Mr. Mendel used to work for global human rights organisation Article 19, for whom he completed a review of Bermuda's draft bill, criticising its lack of retroactivity.

He told The Royal Gazette that Dr. Brown opened the round table meeting by reiterating a pledge he made last month to change the legislation and make it retrospective.

Ms Neuman, who works at the Carter Center in the US and came here as an independent consultant, said everyone at the meeting appeared committed to working together to get the law passed.

"They asked incredible questions," she said. "It was very progressive and it wasn't 'how do we make this more secret?'."

The workshop was the first formal event organised by a new group called the Coalition for Community Activism in Bermuda (CCAB), which describes itself as an "affiliation of various social justice and environmental organisations".

Margaret Hallett, from CCAB, said: "We had leaders from the unions, we had Human Rights Commission people, civil servants and representatives from the political entities.

"It was intended to be for people of influence. The participants were very, very engaged and contributed a great deal."

Mr. Mendel and Ms Neuman, whose visit here was funded by the Stewart R. Mott Foundation and the Atlantic Philanthropies, talked to an invited audience of interested citizens and local group representatives the previous evening.

PLP MP Mr. Scott said Friday's forum proved an "extremely useful exercise". He said: "I think the real flourishing of freedom of information will take place when exercises such as Friday proliferate."

Mr. Barritt said he was pleased people had taken the time to discuss the "need to welcome in a whole new era of governance" involving much more openness from those in charge.

"Discussions like those we had on Thursday evening and all day Friday are just a start but a welcome start," he said. "I hope we are going to see more and the involvement of more and wider groups of people."

Mr. Crockwell said he found Friday's session informative and was encouraged that the experts regarded the proposed bill as an excellent first draft with the inclusion of retroactivity.

But he added that he was worried Bermuda Archives was "totally unprepared" to handle requests for historical data.

This newspaper's A Right To Know: Giving People Power campaign has called for a PATI law and more open government since January 2008.