Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant requested the details of two police officers in connection with an incident in May 2006 that led to his arrest and conviction and the details of cautions or convictions of a third party arrested and cautioned in the same incident. The public authority refused the requests under section 14(1) as they were considered vexatious. The Commissioner finds that the requests can be accurately characterised as vexatious owing to the burden of expense and distraction they would impose on the public authority, that they have the effect of harassing the public authority and individual members of its staff and that they are obsessive in nature. The public authority therefore applied section 14(1) correctly and is not obliged to comply with these requests. The Commissioner also finds, however, that the public authority failed to comply with section 17(5) in that it did not respond to the request within 20 working days of receipt. Information Tribunal appeal number EA/2010/0004 has been dismissed.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 14 - Complaint Not upheld, FOI 17 - Complaint Upheld