Category: freedom of information

Upper Tribunal ruling reveals eight cases where contempt applications made to First-Tier Tribunal over alleged failure to comply with earlier FTT freedom of information decisions – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 26th, 2022 in contempt of court, freedom of information, joinder, news, tribunals by sally

‘A recent Upper Tribunal ruling has revealed the existence of eight cases where the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) (Information Rights) joined the Information Commissioner as a respondent to contempt applications made in respect of alleged failures by a party to meet obligations imposed on it by earlier FTT decisions, it has emerged.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th April 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

UK data watchdog warns No 10 staff not to erase messages amid party probe – The Independent

Posted January 14th, 2022 in coronavirus, data protection, freedom of information, government departments, inquiries, news, ombudsmen, telecommunications by tracey

‘The UK’s data watchdog has warned that it is important “official records are kept” as Downing Street staff face an investigation over allegations of lockdown-breaking.’

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The Independent, 13th January 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Information Commissioner’s Office challenged over Whitehall JR submissions – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 21st, 2021 in bills, consultations, disclosure, freedom of information, government departments, judicial review, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘Public law specialists have begun legal proceedings against the Information Commissioner’s Office over publication of Whitehall submissions on judicial review that have influenced controversial reforms.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 20th December 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

UKHSA considers legal action against privately run Immensa lab – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2021 in auditors, contracting out, coronavirus, freedom of information, health, news, ombudsmen, public procurement by sally

‘A government health watchdog is considering legal action against a private health company whose laboratory gave at least 43,000 people potentially false negative Covid-19 test results.’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Private firms working for UK government ‘should be subject to FOI rules’ – The Guardian

Posted November 26th, 2021 in contracting out, data protection, freedom of information, government departments, news, public procurement by tracey

‘Private outsourcing companies that win government contracts should be subject to freedom of information rules, according to the outgoing information commissioner, who warned the existing transparency law is no longer fit for the modern age.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Anger over ‘grotesque abuse’ of £600,000 case to keep Mountbatten papers secret – The Guardian

Posted November 8th, 2021 in archives, costs, freedom of information, government departments, news, universities by tracey

‘The Cabinet Office has been accused of a “grotesque abuse” of public funds in a freedom of information battle over the personal diaries of Lord and Lady Mountbatten in which costs are now expected to exceed £600,000.’

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The Guardian, 7th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK government ordered to reveal firms awarded ‘VIP’ Covid contracts – The Guardian

Posted October 19th, 2021 in contracts, coronavirus, freedom of information, news, protective equipment, public procurement by tracey

‘The UK government has been ordered to reveal which companies were given “VIP” access to multimillion-pound contracts for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the early months of the Covid pandemic, in a ruling from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).’

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The Guardian, 18th October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK put on global watchlist for curbing civic freedoms – Each Other

Posted October 8th, 2021 in bills, freedom of expression, freedom of information, government departments, human rights, judicial review, news by tracey

‘A new global watchlist highlighting nations where there is a serious and rapid decline in respect for civic space has named the UK as a country of concern.’

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Each Other, 7th October 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Disproportionate targeting of Jamaicans for deportation from UK, data suggests – The Guardian

Posted July 26th, 2021 in criminal justice, deportation, freedom of information, government departments, immigration, news, statistics by sally

‘People from Caribbean countries such as Jamaica appear to be disproportionately targeted for deportation from the UK if they commit crimes, according to Home Office data obtained by the Guardian following a yearlong freedom of information battle.’

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The Guardian, 25th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

A Guide to Immigration Subject Access Requests – Richmond Chambers

Posted June 14th, 2021 in chambers articles, data protection, disclosure, freedom of information, government departments, immigration, news by sally

‘Subject Access Requests (SARs) are an essential tool for individuals and their lawyers, especially when it comes to immigration and nationality law. This post looks at what they are, why they are important, and how to make an Immigration Subject Access Request.’

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Richmond Chambers, 9th June 2021

Source: immigrationbarrister.co.uk

UK government loses legal battle over transparency of ‘Orwellian’ unit – The Guardian

Posted June 9th, 2021 in freedom of information, government departments, news, public interest by sally

‘The government has lost a legal battle to prevent the release of documents about an “Orwellian” unit that is accused of obstructing the release of material requested by the public under the Freedom of Information Act.’

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The Guardian, 8th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Day to day data on remote hearings in the family courts – Transparency Project

Posted June 4th, 2021 in coronavirus, courts, freedom of information, HM Courts Service, news, remote hearings, statistics by sally

‘HM Courts and Tribunals Service have recently published statistics about the number of hearings conducted remotely, ie by audio, video or on paper, compared with physical in-person hearings, over the course of the coronavirus lockdown. The statistics cover civil and criminal cases as well as family law cases, but it is possible to extract from them a picture of how the family justice system, in particular, has responded.’

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Transparency Project, 4th June 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

English court has ‘broad jurisdiction’ to grant access to documents – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 26th, 2021 in documents, fraud, freedom of information, jurisdiction, media, news, third parties by sally

‘A recent decision by the High Court of England and Wales highlights the breadth of its jurisdiction to grant access to documents that have been referred to in a public hearing, according to experts at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 25th May 2021

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Legal bid launched to stop Boris Johnson deleting WhatsApp messages about Covid decisions – The Independent

Posted May 24th, 2021 in coronavirus, freedom of information, government departments, inquiries, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘A legal bid has been launched to stop Boris Johnson and his ministers from deleting WhatsApp messages and other communications that would shed light on how they took decisions during the pandemic.’

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The Independent, 23rd May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Women Disproportionately Affected By Soaring Mental Health Act Detentions – Each Other

Posted March 18th, 2021 in detention, freedom of information, mental health, news, statistics, women by sally

‘The number of women being detained under Section 2 rose by more than 25% in some areas of England, according to exclusive new FOI data.’

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Each Other, 17th March 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Grooming gangs come from ‘diverse backgrounds’, says Home Office as review finally published – The Independent

Posted December 16th, 2020 in child abuse, children, freedom of information, gangs, government departments, news, Pakistan, sexual grooming, sexual offences, statistics by tracey

‘Grooming gangs come from “diverse backgrounds”, a Home Office review has concluded. The research, originally promised by Sajid Javid in 2018, was published on Tuesday following a government U-turn. The Home Office previously said releasing the paper would not be in the “public interest”, in response to a Freedom of Information request by The Independent, but committed to making it public after a petition signed by more than 130,000 people.’
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The Independent, 15th December 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Court to rule on UK freedom of information bids from overseas – The Guardian

Posted October 7th, 2020 in extradition, foreign jurisdictions, freedom of information, government departments, news, tribunals by tracey

‘The rights of those living abroad to submit freedom of information requests are to be tested in court after more than a dozen cases – including one relating to Julian Assange’s extradition – were blocked. A combined hearing involving the Home Office, Metropolitan police, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and 13 separate cases is to be held at an information tribunal in London.’

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The Guardian, 6th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Infected blood scandal: Treasury refuses to publish key documents – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2020 in bereavement, blood products, disclosure, documents, freedom of information, government departments, inquiries, media, news by sally

‘The Treasury is refusing to publish key documents about the treatment of haemophiliacs infected by the NHS with HIV on the grounds that it would be “disruptive” and material might be “distorted” by the media.’

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The Guardian, 21st September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

FOIA Appeals and Enforcement: Who has the Power? – Panopticon

Posted July 3rd, 2020 in appeals, data protection, enforcement, freedom of information, local government, news, tribunals by sally

‘When the First-tier Tribunal decides an information rights appeal and finds in favour of the requestor, who has the responsibility for enforcing any non-compliance with that judgment? Is it the FTT, or is the Information Commissioner? In an interesting judgment of Judge Jacobs in Moss v Information Commissioner & Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames [2020] UKUT 174 (AAC), the Upper Tribunal has held that it is the FTT.’

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Panopticon, 2nd July 2020

Source: panopticonblog.com

Data watchdog relaxes regulatory function to prioritise guidance on complying with law during coronavirus public health emergency – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 26th, 2020 in auditors, coronavirus, data protection, enforcement, fines, freedom of information, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will stand down audit work, issue fewer fines and generally use fewer formal powers against organisations that are struggling to meet data protection standards as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd May 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk