North Jersey Newspapers Co. v. Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

O’HERN, J.

This case concerns the public’s right of access to telephone toll-billing records under the Right-to-Know Law, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 to -4. That Act grants citizens unrestricted access to all records of governmental action that are “required by law to be made, maintained or kept on file.” Because a public record of the identity of persons called is not required by law to be “made, maintained or kept on file,” we hold that the Right-to-Know Law does not provide an unqualified right of access to the telephone toll-billing records of a public body…