May/June 2013
Volume 9, Issue 5

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News Items

• New guidance on vexatious/manifestly unreasonable requests
• New FOIA exemption now in force and other changes on horizon
• Graham Smith: Section 12 to be reviewed
• Tribunal rules that exact salary should be disclosed
• High Court challenge of government’s use of veto begins
• ICO updates sector definition documents
• Rarely used FOI exemption deployed by Speaker

Articles

• FOI, practically speaking Part 3 - getting vexed by Paul Gibbons, SOAS
• Private emails and contracting out - overcoming the challenges by Anish Bhasin, Herbert Smith Freehills
• A right to unknown information? by Jonathan Baines, Buckinghamshire County Council
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal by Hazel Grant, Scott Allardyce, Adam Lavery and Edwin Bond, Bristows

March/April 2013
Volume 9, Issue 4

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News Items

• Long awaited guidance on vexatiousness arrives
• Committee report on ICO suggests relaxation of rules on virement
• Latest EIRs guidance published
• Department to release information on free schools
• David Cameron ‘not at all sure’ on extending FOIA
• FOI reveals extent to which authorities are using private investigators
• Prince Charles’ correspondence - saga continues as UT issues further decision

Articles

• FOI, practically speaking Part 2 - game, data set and match by Paul Gibbons, SOAS
• The new guidance on parliamentary privilege exemption by Patricia Barratt, Clifford Chance LLP
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal by Hazel Grant, Scott Allardyce, Sean Ibbetson and Libby Amos, Bristows
• Book review - FOI Handbook, 3rd edition - Jonathan Baines, Buckinghamshire County Council

January/February 2013
Volume 9, Issue 3

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News Items

• Government to reduce cost ‘burden’ on authorities
• FOIA will not be extended to private contractors
• 'Keyword search' FOI requests are valid, says ICO
• New definition documents for higher education and government department sectors

Articles

• FOI, practically speaking Part 1 - deadlines - Paul Gibbons, SOAS
• Disclosure of personal data relating to children and vulnerable adults - balancing public and private interests - Marion Oswald, University of Winchester
• Vexatious uncertainty - Jonathan Baines, Buckinghamshire County Council
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal - Hazel Grant, Scott Allerdyce and Sean Ibbetson, Bristows
• FOI from a commercial perspective - Part 3 - Helen Rose & Scott Allerdyce, Bristows

November/December 2012
Volume 9, Issue 2

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News Items

• Government rejects key findings of Committee on FOIA
• Confidential bid information disclosable following Tribunal ruling
• Two new consultations: data sets and data transparency
• FOI ban on royal communications scrapped in Scotland
• Expert gives verdict on new ICO guidance

Articles

• Meetings and access to information - has the government thrown open the doors of town hall? - Claire Ambrose, Herbert Smith
• Introducing Rosemary Agnew - James McGachie, DLA Piper
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal - Hazel Grant and Nicholas Round, Bristows
• FOI from a commercial perspective - Part 2 - Helen Rose and Scott Allardyce, Bristows

September/October 2012
Volume 9, Issue 1

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News Items

• New recording requirements cause consternation
• Scottish Commissioner accuses government of causing rights erosion
• Prince Charles letters must be published
• Employment and disciplinary records protected by Tribunal
• Local authority begins to publish FOI requests
• Regulation 12(5)(g) EIRs - new guidance

Articles

• Post legislative scrutiny and the changes that may lie ahead - Jackie Gray, Dickinson Dees
• A shot across the bow? - Paul Gibbons, School of Oriental and African Studies (better known as 'FOI Man')
• Freedom of information and the future of the ministerial veto - Anya Proops, 11KBW
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal - Hazel Grant & Sarah Ruthven, Bristows
• FOI from a commercial perspective - Part 1 - Helen Rose, Bristows

July/August 2012
Volume 8, Issue 6

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News Items

• FOIA review Committee finds very little wrong with the Act
• Government accepts Committee’s ‘open invitation’ to deploy veto
• Commissioner blogs on Report
• Four new FOI guidance documents
• Scotland to strengthen FOI legislation
• FOI probe referred to Tribunal
• Government publishes Open Data White Paper
• FOI legislation to be extended in Ireland

Articles

• Protection of Freedoms Act - the practical consequences - Eleanor Tunnicliffe, Beachcroft LLP
• To Coco or not to Coco? EIRs and confidentiality - Jonathan Baines, Buckinghamshire County Council
• FOIA appeals and the Upper Tribunal - Helen Robinson and Judge Nicholas Wikeley, Upper Tribunal Administrative Appeals Chamber
• Application fees - the arguments for and against - Anna Condliffe, Herbert Smith LLP
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal - Hazel Grant and Edward Glass, Bristows

May/June 2012
Volume 8, Issue 5

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News Items

• Protection of Freedoms Bill given Royal Assent
• Graham attacks decision to deploy veto preventing Register release
• Government issues note on ministerial vetos
• Tribunal makes significant ruling on vexatious requests
• Names of staff members who dealt with complaints are not necessarily personal data
• Straw speaks of ‘mistakes’ made in introducing FOIA
• Committee hears from Grieve, McNally and Maude

Articles

• Commercially sensitive and confidential information - Rachel Kamm, 11KBW
• Extension of FOIA to housing associations and others - Lynn Aglionby, Trowers & Hamlin,
• Access to documents in criminal proceedings - Kate Wilson, One Brick Court,
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal - Hazel Grant & Edward Glass, Bristows

March/April 2012
Volume 8, Issue 4

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News Items

• Mandarins are paving the way for bad behaviour, says Graham
• Publication of risk assessment will do lasting damage, warns Lord
• Commissioner takes no further steps in relation to veto
• Journalist wins right to ‘sensitive’ court papers
• NHS managers seek to curtail FOI requests
• FOIA has not improved accountability, says MoJ
• Prince Charles’s secret veto documents to be released

Articles

• Post legislative scrutiny - an update - Patricia Barratt, Clifford Chance LLP
• Are the EIRs too broad, and is it time to revisit the concept of ‘remoteness’? - Damien Welfare, Cornerstone Barristers
• ICO’s new guide to the Freedom of Information Act - Helen Rose, Bristows
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal - Hazel Grant & Amy Cullen, Bristows

Jan/Feb 2012
Volume 8, Issue 3

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News Items

• FOIA’s future hangs in balance
• Court rules in favour of late raised exemptions
• Justice Select Committee calls for evidence
• MP begs government to curb ‘bonkers’requests
• Celebrating the FOI Officer

Articles

• What are the likely changes to rules on proactive publication? - Eleanor Tunnicliffe & Alistair Robertson, DAC Beachcroft LLP
• Kevin Dunion - through unchartered territory - James McGachie, DLA Piper
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal - Hazel Grant & Amy Cullen, Bristows
• The development of FOI in Eastern Europe - Part 2 - Paul Byfield, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• FOI, higher education institutions and the value of knowledge - Charles Livingstone, Brodies LLP

Nov/Dec 2011
Volume 8, Issue 2

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News Items

• FOIA gets first appraisal
• FOIA is extended
• Councillors use FOI law to find out what is happening in the own council
• ICO publishes guidance for higher education authorities
• Role of FOI in Fox resignation

Articles

• None of our business? Private emails, FOI and lawful interception - Jonathan Baines, Buckinghamshire County Council
• Back to basics Part VI - the transparency agenda - Helen Rose, Bristows
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal -  Hazel Grant & Amy Cullen, Bristows
• The development of FOI in Eastern Europe - Part I - Paul Byfield, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Sept/Oct 2011
Volume 8, Issue 1

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News Items

• List of empty houses at large 
• Tribunal considers bigger picture 
• Section 12 costs calculations should be set out in Refusal Notices
• Tobacco firm using FOI law to access secret academic data

Articles

• Data, data everywhere but not a drop to sync - Eleanor Tunnicliffe & Alistair Robertson, Beachcroft LLP
• Private sewers - transferring the records - Jane Holden, Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and Tribunal -  Hazel Grant & James Brunger, Bristows
• Back to FOI Basics Part V - reviews, complaints and appeals - Helen Rose & Ash Von Schwan, Bristows
• Aggregating public interests under the EIRs - Rachel Kamm, 11KBW

July/August 2011
Volume 7, Issue 6

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News Items

• Transport department’s drive for greater transparency
• UK uncovers ‘most ambitious’ open data agenda in the world
• ICO accused of waving white flag to Cabinet Office over delays
• Birmingham CC does its ‘level best’ to deal with FOI

Articles

• Back to FOI Basics Part IV - Information Handling - Helen Rose, Bristows
• Personal data exemption 1 - anonymised data given the OK - Simon Weinberg, Matthew Arnold & Baldwin
• Personal data exemption 2 - abortion statistics are not personal data - Robin Hopkins, 11KBW
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner and First Tier Tribunal - Hazel Grant & Sacha Wilson, Bristows
• Late reliance and the costs exemption - Paul Dacam, Jamie Potter and Tom Mabbott, Hogan Lovells International LLP 

May/June 2011
Volume 7, Issue 5

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News Items

• Scottish FOI guidance launched
• Cabinet Office delays over dossier
• Notice on Tribunal website dictates change

Articles

• Back to FOI Basics Part III – Publication Schemes – Helen Rose, Associate, Bristows
• The right to change your mind – a public authority’s prerogative – Paul Dacam, Partner, Jamie Potter, Associate, and Tom Mabbott, Trainee Solicitor, Hogan Lovells International LLP
• FOI in Scotland: where are we now and where are we going? – Emma Gilpin, Senior Solicitor, Brodies LLP
• Recent decisions of the First-Tier Tribunal – Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

March/April 2011
Volume 7, Issue 4

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News Items

• Egypt tweets cut off
• ICO provides top tips for FOI
• Updated guidance for Scottish Public Authorities

Articles

• Back to FOI basics - ‘the request’ - Helen Rose, Associate, Bristows
• Transparency, current procurements and the future -Jackie Gray, Director, Dickinson Dees
• Environmental information is a no-flow - Patricia Barratt, Senior Associate, Clifford Chance LLP
• FOI, Cabinet Minutes and the Ministerial Veto - Ciaran Ward, Information Officer, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
• Changes to FOI and the Protection of Freedoms Bill - Jackie Gray, Director, Dickinson Dees

January/February 2011
Volume 7, Issue 3

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News Items

• Who needs freedom of information laws when you've got Wikileaks?
• ICO orders disclosure of asylum seekers information
• BBC contracts subject to FOI

Articles

• Back to FOI Basics Part I – ‘The Request’ – Helen Rose, Associate, Bristows
• Case study: FOI requests at an NHS Trust – Claire Robson, Information Rights Manager, Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust
• Political donations, dropped prosecutions & personal data - Eleanor Tunnicliffe, Associate, Beachcroft LLP
• Transparency programme: redactions and exemptions - Jackie Gray, Director, Dickinson Dees
• Recent decisions of the First-Tier Tribunal and Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray's Inn Square

November/December 2010
Volume 7, Issue 2

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News Items

• Scottish Commissioner’s response - extending FOISA?
• Tribunal retains legal professional privilege
• Commissioner rules against FSA

Articles

• The Transparency Programme starts to bite - Jackie Gray and Sarah Thompson, Dickinson Dees
• English Heritage and the Environmental Information Regulations - Jessica Trevitt, English Heritage
• Should we expect to see changes to the Freedom of Information Act any time soon? - James McGachie, DLA Piper Scotland LLP
• Recent Decisions of the Information Tribunal and Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Grays Inn Square
• Book Review - Victoria Hordern, Field Fisher Waterhouse

September/October 2010
Volume 7, Issue 1

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News Items

• ICO publishes new FOI policy
• Academy proprietors within FOI Act
• Royal Mail to disclose complaints details
• Government's bid to maintain secrecy surrounding Heseltine resignation

Articles

• FOIA and EIRs exemptions - legal professional privilege, by Flora Greenwood, Trainee Solicitor, and Hazel Grant, Partner, Bristows
• Raising the exemptions - better late than never? - Eleanor Tunnicliffe and Alistair Robertson, Solicitors in the Public Law team, Beachcroft
• Life after a Practice Recommendation - Andrew Goodfellow, Senior Information Governance Officer, Nottingham City Council
• FOI developments at an EU level - ECJ brews up a storm in Bavarian Lager - Ciaran Ward, Information Manager, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
• Recent decisions of the Information Tribunal and Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square,

July/August 2010
Volume 6, Issue 6

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News Items

• Government withholds documents because of risk of criticism
• Council could ‘clearly improve’ detail recorded
• New guidance on appeals to the First Tier Tribunal

Articles

• The government’s transparency commitments - what do they mean in practice? - Jackie Gray, Director, Dickinson Dees
• FOIA and EIRs exemptions Part V - prejudice to law enforcement - Rachel Burfitt, Solicitor, and Hazel Grant, Partner, Bristows
• Identity of FOI requesters (who wants to know?) - Paul Dacam, Partner and Jamie Potter, Associate, Hogan Lovells International LLP
• Recent decisions of the Information Tribunal and Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

May/June 2010
Volume 6, Issue 5

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News Items

• Commissioner breaches EIRs
• ‘Disturbing’ setback for FOI over Macaque decision
• Group using FOI to delay views on tuition fees?
• Correspondence on Katanga not protected

Articles

• Mortgage company signs Undertaking
• FOIA and EIRs exemptions Part IV - prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs - Hazel Grant, Partner, and Helen Rose, Associate, Bristows
• Exemption for confidential material narrowed by the Tribunal? - Eleanor Tunnicliffe, Solicitor, and Alistair Robertson, Solicitor - Beachcroft LLP
• Recent decisions of the Information Tribunal and Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

March/April 2010
Volume 6, Issue 4

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News Items

• MoJ reveals (in)tolerance for Twittering
• HMRC fails to respond over who gets taxed less
• Delays 'completely and unacceptably' undermine spirit of FOIA
• Freedom of Information televised

Articles

• The public interest test - over to the Court of Justice - Patricia Barratt, Senior Associate, Clifford Chance LLP
• FOIA and EIRs exemptions Part III - personal data exemption - Hazel Grant, Partner, and Leane Shankster, trainee solicitor, Bristows
• Requests for 'copies' and the 'true identity' of applicants - does it matter? - Christine O’Neill, Partner, and Charles Livingstone, Associate, Brodies Solicitors
• Recent decisions of the Information Tribunal and Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

January/February 2010
Volume 6, Issue 3

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News Items

• University of East Anglia breached FOIA
• Council withholds information from whistleblowers
• Cabinet Office to disclose peer’s residency
• SIC issues guidance on validity of FOI requests

Articles

• FOI and EIRs exemptions Part II - commercially sensitive information - Hazel Grant, Partner, and Sam Ryan, Bird & Bird
• A loophole in commercial confidentiality? - Jackie Gray, Director, Dickinson Dees LLP
• Recent decisions of the Information Tribunal and Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister,  2-3 Gray's Inn Square
• Towards a FOI culture in the EU? - Ciaran Ward, Information Officer, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
• FOI and release of third party documents - FOI news team

November/December 2009
Volume 6, Issue 2

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News Items

• School fails on four counts over questionnaire
• BBC wins eight out of eight cases in November
• Top most complained about companies protected from disclosure

Articles

• FOI and EIRs exemptions Part I - controversial confidentiality - Hazel Grant, Bristows
• Recent decisions of the Information Tribunal and Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray's Inn Square
• Animal experiments - putting FOI to the test? - David Thomas, BUAV
• FOI and the financial services industry - who’s on top? - Patricia Barratt, Senior Associate, Clifford Chance

September/October 2009
Volume 6, Issue 1

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News Items

• Essex Police criticised for lack of engagement
• Brighton and Hove bath trouble
• ICO’s property search guidance prompts cries of cowboys
• Obama appeals for abuse photos to be kept secret

Articles

• Recent decisions of the Information Tribunal and the High Court - Hazel Grant and Tessa Finlayson, Bird & Bird
• The extension of the Freedom of Information Act - James McGachie, DLA Piper
• FOI and the third sector - when disclosure is less than voluntary - Christine O’Neill and Susheela Math, Brodies LLP
• EIRs - navigating the complexities and pitfalls - Charles Brasted, Lovells LLP
• Recent decisions of the Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

July/August 2009
Volume 5, Issue 6

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News Items

• Government annouces new Code
• ICO hits back over 'delays'
• Delays in the Caymans

Articles

• Public sector salaries - a trend towards more, not less? - Patricia Barratt, Senior Associate, Clifford Chance LLP
• Recent decisions of the Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Grays Inn Square
• Recent decisions of the Information Tribunal - Hazel Grant, Partner, Bird & Bird

May/June 2009
Volume 5, Issue 5

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News Items

• BBC board members' expenses to be made public
• Treasury says no to stress tests
• ICO upholds section 42 for purchase of parish
• ICO agrees with Cabinet Office over costs limit

Articles

• Practical ways of distinguishing FOI and EIR requests - Lynn Aglionby, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins
• Is open government good government? - Andrew Watson, Senior Lecturer, University of Northumbria
• Recent decisions of the Information Commissioner - FOI news team, PDP, and Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray's Inn Square
• The Information Commissioner’s Swan Song - Natalie Hunt, Associate, Hunton & Williams

March/April 2009
Volume 5, Issue 4

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News Items

• Consultation on new Tribunal
• No disclosure for curiosity's sake
• 'Surprising' level of abuse at job centres
• Progressive resources for voluntary sector in Scotland

Articles

• Housing associations and the EIR- the impact of Belfast and Wesley - Henry Longbottom, Senior Associate, and Rachel Lindop, Associate, Herbert Smith
• LPP exemption - new clarity from the High Court? - Anna Condliffe, Lawyer, Herbert Smith
• FOI India: overcoming the secrecy culture - Nick Graham, Partner, and Michael Loffler, Lawyer, Denton Wilde Sapte

January/February 2009
Volume 5, Issue 3

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News Items

• Job applicants' data not exempt
• Commissioner fails to recognise personal data
• Tribunal orders release of Iraq dossier
• President Obama's 'new era of openness'

Articles

• New ICO guidance on vexatious requests - Hazel Grant, Partner, Bird & Bird
• Serious delays still affecting ICO decisions - Patricia Barratt, Senior Associate, Clifford Chance
• Recent decisions of the Information Commissioner - FOI news team, PDP, and Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray's Inn Square

November/December 2008
Volume 5, Issue 2

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News Items

• Ps' addresses to stay secret?
• FOI no longer fragile flower
• Kent County Council tells all about Ten Alps
• Register of employers released

Articles

• The new approach to publication schemes - Patricia Barratt, Senior Associate, Clifford Chance
• Publication of minutes, agendas & background papers - the latest guidance - Jackie Gray, and Julie Prior, Dickinson Dees
• Nationalisation of Bradford & Bingley and Northern Rock - an FOI perspective - James Dimmick, Pinsent Masons
• Recent decisions of the Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray's Inn Square

September/October 2008
Volume 5, Issue 1

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News Items

• Model publication scheme 2009
• Nuclear authority right to withhold report
• Police forced to publish perks
• Scottish ICO orders release of tender information

Articles

• The ‘expansive approach’ to freedom of information - are the courts reining it in? - James Thorne and Doug Watson, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
• Protecting the dead - or guarding against them? - Dr Teresa Bastow, Head of The National Archives 'Freedom of Information' Centre, The National Archives
• Recent decisions of the Information Commissioner Damien Welfare, Barrister, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
• The ICO’s Annual Report The Freedom of Information - Team at PDP

July/August 2008
Volume 4, Issue 6

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News Items

• Secret Stansted data to be made public
• New Northern Ireland Assistant Commissioner
• Force to disclose
• Hostels kept secret

Articles

• Proposed revisions of Regulation 1049/2001 - a step too far? - Niamh Grogan and Gordon Christian, SJ Berwin LLP
• The commercial prejudice exemption - coming into its own? - Patricia Barratt, Clifford Chance
• Recent decisions of the Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

May/June 2008
Volume 4, Issue 5

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News Items

• Deputy gives annual FOI conference candid presentation
• First government department to be issued a formal practice recommendation by ICO
• Council pay rates on 'rich list'
• ICO guidance for handling FOI and EIR

Articles

• Can public authorities argue new FOIA exemptions or EIR exceptions on appeal? – Jeremy Ison, Clifford Chance
• The Freedom of Information Act’s approach to the form and format of information – Rhian Hill and Hazel Grant, Bird & Bird
• Recent decisions of the Commissioner – Winter 2008 – Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

March/April 2008
Volume 4, Issue 4

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News Items

• ‘John Lewis list’ disclosed by Commons
• FOI ban on Northern Rock “unacceptable”
• Kevin Dunion reappointed
• NOMS receive practice recommendation

Articles

• Public sector contracts and prices - what must be disclosed? - Jackie Gray, Dickinson Dees
• Bavarian Lager - Rosemary Jay and James Muse, Pinsent Masons
• Recent decisions by Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
• Is there privacy for public sector workers? - Hazel Grant and Rhian Hill, Bird & Bird
• Book review: Information Rights - Rosemary Jay, Pinsent Masons

January/February 2008
Volume 4, Issue 3

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News Items

• FSA must name and shame mystery-shopped advisors
• Local waste contracts to be disclosed
• ITV and SKY caught by FOIA?
• FOI to be extended

Articles

• NHS Lothian case: the disclosure of private finance initiative contract - Hazel Moffat, DLA Piper
• The Environmental Information Regulations get a radiation burn: Ofcom and Sitefinder - Andrew Sharpe, Charles Russell
• The Freedom of Information Act: A sword rather than a shield approach - Jimmy Desai and David Jones, Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons
• Records Management and Freedom of Information - been there, done that, but do you have a practice recommendation yet? - Philip Jones, Staffordshire County Council
• A look back at 2007 and a glimpse at what’s to come in 2008 - Rosemary Jay, Pinsent Masons

November/December 2007
Volume 4, Issue 2

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News Items

• FOI fees - no change after public outcry
• Prime Minister commits to more open government and wider access
• Council’s reputation at risk from poor records
• Groundbreaking Scottish ruling - NHS Lothian
• MP forced to reveal £40,000 travel expenses

Articles

• Legal advice and the Commissioner’s power to issue an Information Notice - Kelly Harris and Tracy Marshall, Shepherd and Wedderburn
• The Freedom of Information Act - does it ever apply to banks and financial institutions? - Jimmy Desai and David Jones, Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons
• Recent decisions by the Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
• Government consultation to bring private organisations into FOIA - Patricia Barratt, Clifford Chance

September/October 2007
Volume 4, Issue 1

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News Items

• Ofcom’s phone mast website may shut down after ruling
• FSA set to appeal ICO decision
• Tax gap scrutinised by the ICO
• Guidance for sharing information

Articles

• The “Vauxhall Tower” decision in the Information Tribunal - a milestone case for the right to know – Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
• Section 237(6) of the Enterprise Act and FOI law – an English and Scottish dichotomy – Simon Holmes and Gordon Christian, SJ Berwin
• When is information “held” under FOIA? – Hui Min Ch’ng, Field Fisher Waterhouse
• Recent decisions by the Information Commissioner - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

July/August 2007
Volume 3, Issue 6

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News Items

• House of Lords ensure Parliament bound by FOI laws
• BBC in exclusion row
• Cover up over Deepcut deaths?
• MPs expenses to be made transparent

Articles

• Will the Information Commissioner get new teeth? - Patricia Barratt, Clifford Chance
• Freedom of Information in the EU - Andrew Sharpe, Charles Russell
• Release of employee information - decisions of the Scottish Information Commissioner - Grant S Campbell, Brodies
• Recent decisions by the Commissioner - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

April/May 2007
Volume 3, Issue 5

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News Items

• MPs block attempts to exempt Parliament from FOI law
• Information Tribunal develops backlog
• Commissioner may intervene in leukaemia case
• Publication schemes should include environmental information

Articles

• Review and appeals - the latest thinking - Rosemary Jay, Pinsent Masons
• Differing approaches to statutory prohibitions on disclosure - Kelly Harris and Alison White, Shepherd and Wedderburn
• Disclosing staff salaries and similar information - Jan Willem van den Bos, Denton Wilde Sapte

March/April 2007
Volume 3, Issue 4

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News Items

• Delay to fees changes may see plans scrapped
• FOI - according to the ICO
• Openness creates pension problems for Chancellor
• Requests for access to images of dead body
• Patients leaving hospital with surgical implements inside them

Articles

• FOI and confidentiality - when will information be protected - Hazel Grant, Bird & Bird
• Spotlight of FOI moves closer to the heart of government - Marcus Turle, Field Fisher Waterhouse
• Recent decisions - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

January/February 2007
Volume 3, Issue 3

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News Items

• The MPs exemption - Falconer warns off Ministers
• Council ordered to disclose property addresses
• Derry City Council must disclose Ryanair deal
• Liverpool Council ordered to release prostitution documents
• The mystery of David Beckham’s video portrait

Articles

• Freedom of Information - not at a cost - Jackie Gray, Walker Morris
• Information - for free or for sale? - Patricia Barratt, Clifford Chance
• Court orders disclosure of medical information - Hazel Moffat, DLA Piper
• Scottish Executive ordered to release sensitive government information - Hazel Moffat, DLA Piper
• Information Tribunal - exemptions decisions - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square

November/December 2006
Volume 3, Issue 2

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News Items

• FOI has led to greater trust in public authorities
• Exemption for ‘politically embarrassing material’
• FOI media coverage continuing to expand
• ICO adopts service level agreements
• Council forced to disclose information it denied having

Articles

• FOI Exemptions - Part VII - Hazel Grant and Alice Sculthorpe, Bird & Bird
• FOI requests - can contractual provisions adequately protect 3rd parties? - Varun Shingari and Mirza Ahmad, Birmingham City Council
• FOI in practice - Hertfordshire Constabulary - Barry Bland, Hertford Constabulary
• Unanswered questions relating to a simple FOI request - or a personal account of a request that failed? – Dr Chris Pounder, Pinsent Masons

September/October
Volume 3, Issue 1

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News Items

• FOI/EIR - differences resolved?
• OPSI expects higher standard ‘re-use’
• FOI crisis in Australia
• Consultancy declared a ‘public authority’ under EIRs

Articles

• Pernod v OFT - FOIA is trumped by the Enterprise Act - Gordon Christian and Simon Holmes, SJ Berwin
• The Vauxhall Tower decision - opening up submissions to Ministers - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
• Operating a robust FOI regime - decisions of the Scottish Information Commissioner worth knowing - Hazel Moffat, DLA Piper
• Uncomfortable disclosures - identity cards - Jimmy Desai, Tarlo Lyons
• Book review - Freedom of Information handbook – Jimmy Desai, Tarlo Lyons

July/August 2006
Volume 2, Issue 6

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News Items

• Constitutional Affairs Committee critiques FOI
• Publication schemes - ICO publishes new ‘policy’
• Fire at two records storage facilities - coincidence?
• Brown forced to reveal pensions information
• Records management ‘must be improved’

Articles

• Focus on enforcement - stopping public authorities from releasing information - Jeremy Ison, Clifford Chance
• The vexed question of vexatious requests - Marcus Turle, Field Fisher Waterhouse
• ‘A new chapter in openness’ - do the statistics agree? - Benjamin Beabey, Farrer & Co
• The National Archives workbook - Kevin Smith, The National Archives
• Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - one year on – David Maldon, ITI Scotland

May/June 2006
Volume 2, Issue 5

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News Items

• Enforcement Notice issued on Iraq war advice
• DCA publishes annual report on operation of FOI in Central Government
• Commissioner grilled by Select Committee
• Commissioner urges communication with requesters

Articles

• Vexatious Requests, the Commissioner's first decision - Julia Apostle, Financial Times
• Understanding the Environmental Information Regulations - Damien Welfare, 2-3 Gray's Inn Square
• The FOI Act Exemptions Part VI - Hazel Grant and John Pullicino, Bird & Bird
• FOI Manual by Marcus Turle, Book Review - Usha Jagessar, DLA Piper

March/April 2006
Volume 2, Issue 4

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News Items

• Local authority correct to treat requests as vexatious
• Media perspective on FOI
• DCA surprised at commercial bias in FOI requests
• FOI boosts records management
• 2005 statistics for ICO complaints
• Requesters can be asked reason for request

Articles

• Confidentiality and Commercial Interest, the verdict so far - Claire Walker, Olswang
• Ten things you need to know about the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations - Carolyn Bigg, Charles Russell
• Focus on Enforcement - Case Handling by the Information Tribunal - Jeremy Ison, Clifford Chance
• Electronic Records Management Part VI - Digital Preservation – Kelvin Smith, The National Archives

January/February 2006
Volume 2, Issue 3

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News Items

• FOI - fees may be imposed
• Information Tribunal pushes boundaries in its first decisions
• FOI leads to better food standards
• Central Government - trends in FOI requests
• Backlog at Commissioner's office
• Education secretary ordered to disclose records

Articles

• Information Tribunal - the First Five Cases - Dan Tench, Olswang
• The FOI Act Exemptions Part V - Hazel Grant, Bird & Bird
• Electronic Records Management Part V - Digital Preservation - Kelvin Smith, The National Archives
• Use of Council Employee Data for Direct Marketing - Usha Jagessar, DLA Piper

November/December 2005
Volume 2, Issue 2

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News Items

• FOI may allow access to records of the deceased
• 40% of NHS Trusts fail to respond to FOI requests
• Information delays criticised by editors
• Wartime records to be released
• Economic data to be published by Chancellor?
• Surgeons' mortality rates unlikely to be accessible under FOI
• Increase in FOI requests by voluntary groups

Articles

• Focus on Enforcement - the Information Commissioner's Approach to Case Handling - Jeremy Ison, Clifford Chance
• Requesting Information on the Deceased - Usha Jagessar, DLA Piper
• Electronic Records Management Part IV - File Plan Structure – Kelvin Smith, The National Archives

September/October 2005
Volume 2, Issue 1

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News Items

• BBC spends over £400,000 on FOI compliance
• Complaints - the state of play
• Companies using agencies to seek information
• New NHS code on records management proposed
• Latest on Information Fair Trader Scheme
• New German FOI law
• Zambia demands FOI law
• Scots delight in making FOI requests

Articles

• Electronic Records Management Part III - Evaluation and Appraisa - Kelvin Smith, The National Archives
• Commercial Interests - the Shawcross Decision - Nicolas Gray, Herbert Smith
• FOI and Commercial Litigation - Richard Grandison and Lisette Aguilar, Slaughter and May
• Commercial Withholding under FOI law - David Mallon, ITI Scotland

July/August 2005
Volume 1, Issue 6

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News Items

• Commercial secrets likely to be more readily available
• Commissioner's First Annual Report published
• Scottish Commissioner takes it personally
• Pernod seeks Bacardi figures
• Isle of Wight residents make full use of FOIA

Articles

• Electronic Records Management Part II - Managing records on LAN - Kelvin Smith, The National Archives
• The FOI Act Exemptions Part IV - Hazel Grant and Emily Unwin, Bird & Bird
• Statutory Prohibitions - opportunities missed - Usha Jagessar and Julia Apostle, DLA Piper
• The Re-use of Public Sector Information - Anna-Marie Harty and Brian Jones, Herbert Smith

May/June 2005
Volume 1, Issue 5

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News Items

• ICO agrees rules of FOI disclosure by government
• NHS Trust urged to adopt blanket disclosure ban
• Information Commissioner assesses current position
• India's new FOI law
• Restaurants under fire
• FOI in the United States – more difficult to obtain information
• Law firms seek information restrictions

Articles

• Electronic Records Management First Steps Part I - Kelvin Smith, The National Archives
• FOI in the UK, a Survey - Jim Amos, The Constitution Unit University College London
• FOI Act Exemptions Part III - Hazel Grant, Bird & Bird
• Queensland's FOI Processing Initiative - Gerry Cottle, Queensland Treasury
• The Media Experience of FOI Law So Far - Keith Mathieson, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain

March/April 2005
Volume 1, Issue 4

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News Items

• FOI to be extended to private companies after election
• Requests top 8,000 in first two months of new law
• Iraq invasion - information disclosure
• Local authority decisions
• FOI Select Committee report - the government's response
• Press Complaints Commission escapes FOI
• Information Commissioner's role clarified
• EIR Code and fee guidance

Articles

• Could Copyright be an Obstacle to an Effective FOI Regime? - Julia Apostle and Mark Lawry, DLA Piper
• S.36 FOI Act and the Governmental Goldfish Bowl - Rosalind Ashcroft, Beachcroft Wansbroughs
• The Impact of FOI Laws on Academic Research - Susan Calman and David Gourlay, Dundas & Wilson

January/February 2005
Volume 1, Issue 3

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News Items

• FOI Act in force
• Government accused of mass document destruction
• VAT on FOI requests
• Utilities - need to check information disclosure
• PSI implementation imminent
• Environmental Information Regulations published
• Scottish FOI decision
• Doctors' performance to be exposed

Articles

• Disclosures of Information by Business Regulator - John O'Hara, Denton Wilde Sapte and Marcus Turle, Field Fisher Waterhouse
• FOI Act Exemptions Part II - Hazel Grant and Rachel Fetches, Bird & Bird
• The Law of Freedom of Information by John Macdonald and Clive H Jones, book review
• The Realities of FOI, a Canadian Perspective - Professor Alasdair Roberts, Campbell Public Affairs Institute

November/December 2004
Volume 1, Issue 2

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News Items

• FOI fees to be scrapped
• Private companies must act on FOI as soon as possible
• Government guidance on FOI published
• Survey reveals Government bodies not ready for FOI
• Will FOI compliance lead to copyright breaches?

Articles

• Impact of Environmental Regulations - Prof. Brian Jones, Herbert Smith
• FOI Act Exemptions Part I - Hazel Grant, Bird & Bird
• Practical Implications of the Records Management Code - Kelvin Smith, The National Archives
• FOI Impact on Non-public Organisations - Andrew Sharpe, Charles Russell

September/October 2004
Volume 1, Issue 1

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News Items

• FOI fees still uncertain
• Commercial secrets could be revealed under FOI
• Government vetos to be scrutinised
• FOI guidance imminent
• Officials salaries to remain confidential

Articles

• Preparing for the January deadline - Marcus Turle, Field Fisher Waterhouse
• FOI, practical guide to implementing the Act (book review) - Kelvin Smith
• FOI and the Private Sector - Patricia Barratt, Clifford Chance
• Managing two FOI regimes in Scotland - David Mallon, MacRoberts Solrs
• Confidentiality v FOI - Keith Mathieson, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain