The court considered the conditions under which the respondent authority replied to all enquiries as to properties within its area. The replies were given by a standardised all inclusive information sheet derived from a central database. The authority would not allow either access to the raw data, nor provide piecemeal responses. The claimant argued that the statutory background implied a duty to allow access to the raw data.
Held: While a court can interpret a statute merely authorising an authority to take an action as imposing a duty where a failure to act would frustrate the purpose of the Act, it was not as clear that a similar interpretation could be imposed to support a different statute. The background information to the 2004 Act clearly anticipated authorities allowing access to the raw data, preferring initially a voluntary approach. That preference undermined an interpretation imposing an obligation, and there was in fact no obligation imposed on the council to allow access to the raw data.
Hickinbottom J
[2010] EWHC 590 (Admin)
Bailii
Local Government Act 1972, Local Government Act 2000 2, Local Authorities (Charges for Land Searches) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994 No 1885) 2
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Padfield v Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food HL 14-Feb-1968
Exercise of Ministerial Discretion
The Minister had power to direct an investigation in respect of any complaint as to the operation of any marketing scheme for agricultural produce. Milk producers complained about the price paid by the milk marketing board for their milk when . .
Cited – The Sussex Peerage Case 1844
Statements against penal interest are outside the common law exception of statements against interest. The oral confession of a deceased person was considered.
The court considered principles of statutory interpretation: ‘Acts should be . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Updated: 23 September 2021; Ref: scu.403378