Some recent FOI developments
A catch-up on some freedom of information developments that are worth noting:
• Following the Treasury 1997 budget papers disclosure, the government has decided to give in on another case it had initially decided to fight at the Information Tribunal. Isolated instances? Or a pattern in which government lawyers are advising that further resistance on these cases are futile?
• The conflict between individual privacy and freedom of information produces some of the most complex legal disputes around FOI. This is a useful summary of recent decisions, prepared by the information lawyer Ibrahim Hasan. This conflict between privacy and openness features in all countries with a freedom of information law, but the issues vary according to local custom and ethos. In the US, there's controversy in Virginia over whether to make public a list of names and addresses of residents allowed to carry concealed handguns.
• The Information Commissioner has published important guidance on the time public authorities should take to assess the public interest and also on the time they should take take to conduct an internal review. These documents state that both public interest tests and internal reviews should be completed within 20 working days.
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