Information Commissioner's Office

Attorney Generals Office

30 August 2016, Central government

The complainant submitted a request to the public authority for information relating to the RAF drone strike in Syria which targeted and killed two British citizens fighting with the so called Islamic State. The public authority declined the request in reliance on the exemptions at sections 23(1) (Information supplied by, or relating to bodies dealing with security matters), 26(1) (Defence), 27(1) (International Relations), 35(1)(c) (Information relating to the provision of advice by any of the Law Officers or any request for the provision of such advice), 40(2) (Protection of personal data) and 42(1) (Legal Professional Privilege) FOIA. The Commissioner has concluded that the public authority was entitled to withhold the information held within the scope of the request on the basis of the exemptions at sections 23(1) and 35(1)(c).

FOI 23: Not upheld FOI 35: Not upheld