The complainant requested information concerning the frequency and cost of involvement of locum legal advisers in Magistrates’ Courts. The public authority refused the request under section 12(1) of the Act as it estimated that the cost of compliance with the request would exceed the cost limit of Pounds 600. The Commissioner finds that the cost of compliance with the request would exceed the Pounds 600 limit and so section 12(1) of the Act was applied correctly. However, the Commissioner also finds that the public authority failed to comply with its duty under section 16(1) of the Act to provide advice and assistance in that it did not provide advice to the complainant as to how to refine his request to bring it within the cost limit. The public authority is required to provide advice to the complainant on refining his request.
Section of Act/EIR and Finding: FOI 12 – Complaint Not upheld, FOI 16 – Complaint Upheld
Citations:
[2010] UKICO FS50207333
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Information
Updated: 15 July 2022; Ref: scu.531274