Information Commissioner Ger Deering criticized public bodies' over-reliance on external legal advice for FOI requests.
Information Commissioner Ger Deering criticized the "over-reliance" of public bodies on external legal advice when responding to freedom of information (FOI) requests, which can result in the public not receiving records as provided under the FOI Act. Deering raised concerns about a growing trend in some bodies contracting out decision-making on FOI requests, and said that external legal advisers tend to apply blanket exemptions, while there may be legitimate reasons for information not to be released.
June 27, 2024
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