Information Commissioner's Office

Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service

21 January 2016, Police and criminal justice

The complainant has requested a copy of the information which the Metropolitan Police Service (the “MPS”) submitted to the Interception of Communications Commissioner's Office (“IOCCO”) for a review it conducted into the police service’s use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (“RIPA”) to identify journalistic sources. The MPS initially found the request to be vexatious under section 14(1) of the FOIA, however, during the course of the Commissioner’s investigation, it changed its position and instead relied on sections 21(1)(information accessible by other means) and 31(1)(a)(b) & (g)(law enforcement). The MPS subsequently went on to disclose some information, maintaining reliance on 31(1)(a)(b) and (g) for the remainder. The Commissioner’s decision is that it was entitled to do so and no steps are required.

FOI 31: Not upheld