“Requests for politically embarrassing material have been made harmless in the slow appeals system. Robert Verkaik, Law Editor, considers cases now looking distinctly dusty.”
The Independent, 25th January 2008
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“A Whitehall spin doctor may have played a greater role in the drafting of the famous dossier on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction than the government admitted at the time, the Information Tribunal said today.”
The Guardian, 23rd Janauary 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A journalist has been refused the right under freedom of information laws to receive a list of anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) recipients because disclosure of a person’s name long after the award of an ASBO is not the same as disclosure at the time.”
OUT-LAW.com, 7th January 2008
Source: www.out-law.com
“Lawyers have long argued that there is absolute protection against the publication of legally privileged advice. Robert Verkaik, Law Editor, finds a case which challenges this.”
The Independent, 7th December 2007
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Documents containing personal data cannot be withheld under EU freedom of information laws if the disclosure of the data does not undermine the privacy of the persons named, according to a ruling by the European Court of First Instance.”
OUT-LAW.com, 20th November 2007
Source: www.out-law.com
“A shake-up of Britain’s secrecy laws and those powers enabling police to enter the home has been ordered by the Prime Minister as part of sweeping changes to the constitution.”
The Independent, 26th October 2007
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“It is now two-and-a-half years since the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) came fully into force, and it is now very much in the media spotlight. Should a breakdown of MPs’ travel expenses be accessible to the general public? To what extent should the formulation of government policy take place in a ‘safe space’ free from public scrutiny? Should the BBC be required to disclose an internal report examining whether it was biased in its reporting of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? All of these issues have been considered recently by the Information Commissioner and by the Information Tribunal (which hears appeals from the Commissioner’s decisions). They have also been the subject of wider debate among politicians and in the media. They raise an issue that lies at the very heart of FOIA: at what point does a requirement for openess and transparency by public authorities begin to threaten the effective operation of those same authorities?”
Legal Week, 26th July 2007
Source: www.legalweek.com
“The Government’s plans to limit requests under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act should be blocked, according to a parliamentary committee. It also said that watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) should be better funded.”
OUT-LAW.com, 27th June 2007
Source: www.out-law.com
“Ministers must scrap controversial plans aimed at preventing the public obtaining damaging or embarrassing information about the Government and other public bodies, a parliamentary committee says.”
The Independent, 25th June 2007
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Parliament’s reputation is “at serious risk” from attempts to exempt its members from the freedom of information act, a powerful Lords committee warned today.”
The Guardian, 21st June 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“An ill-conceived attempt to remove Parliament from Britain’s newly created Freedom of Information laws now looks almost certain to fail. The Tory MP David Maclean’s Private Member’s Bill, supported by ministers and elements of the Labour Party, has failed to attract a peer to sponsor it in the House of Lords.”
The Independent, 15th June 2007
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“A move to exempt parliament from the Freedom of Information Act appeared to have collapsed last night, when no peer came forward to sponsor the private member’s bill lodged by the former Tory chief whip, David Maclean, in the Lords.”
The Guardian, 14th June 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The father of a teenage soldier who died in mysterious circumstances at Deepcut barracks called today for a murder inquiry to be launched after the emergence of what he said was fresh information about the police investigation into her death and a subsequent cover up.”
The Guardian, 12th June 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Information Tribunal has ruled that civil servants’ advice to ministers on major planning decisions should be disclosed to anyone who asks for it once the decision is taken.”
The Guardian, 11th June 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) will go to the High Court in an attempt to overturn an Information Tribunal ruling on access to controversial Government reports.”
OUT-LAW.com, 1st June 2007
Source: www.out-law.com
“MPs dealt a massive blow to open government last week by voting themselves an exemption to the right-to-know law. Robert Verkaik, Law Editor, considers the next move.”
The Independent, 25th May 2007
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“A campaign by MPs to remove themselves from open government laws in order to protect the privacy of their constituents has been seriously undermined by the UK’s information watchdog.”
The Independent, 25th May 2007
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Plans are due to be unveiled to deter ‘pointless and mischievous’ requests under the Freedom of Information Act.”
BBC News, 24th May 2007
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Gordon Brown is poised to kill off moves by the Lord Chancellor to water down the Freedom of Information Act, it became clear last night.”
Daily Telegraph, 23rd May 2007
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Appeal impossible before decision notice served
Queen’s Bench Division
“There could be no appeal to the Information Tribunal unless the Information Commissioner had decided whether the requirements of Part I of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 had been complied with by a public authority and where a decision notice had been served.”
The Times, 22nd May 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.
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