Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested 'all information you possess relating to the trial of Jeremy Thorpe in 1979 for alleged conspiracy to murder'. The scope of the initial request was later narrowed to a copy of the Senior Investigating Officer's report. The police authority considered the requested information to be exempt from disclosure under section 30 (investigations and proceedings conducted by public authorities), section 40 (personal information) and section 38 (health and safety). The Commissioner considered the public interest arguments both for and against disclosure and agreed that Avon and Somerset Constabulary was entitled to rely on section 30 to withhold all the requested information. Additionally, some of the requested information constituted personal data relating to living individuals and its disclosure would be unfair and involve contravention of the first Data Protection principle. However, the Commissioner did not accept that section 38 was appropriately engaged. The Decision Notice does not require any further steps to be taken by the Police Authority.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 30 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 40 - Complaint Not upheld