Information Commissioner's Office

Ministry of Justice

13 February 2008, Central government

The complainant asked the public authority for a complete database data dump in machine-readable format of information from its Statute Law Database editing system or, failing that, from its ‘Documents’ database. The public authority refused the primary request as exceeding the ‘appropriate limit’ of £600, and the alternative request as being exempt under sections 22 and 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Commissioner decided that the primary request was indeed exempt by virtue of section 12, but that neither section 22 nor section 43 applied to the alternative request, which should therefore be disclosed.

FOI 12: Not upheld