Information Commissioner's Office

University of Ulster

22 June 2017, Education (University)

The complainant has requested information relating to the University’s Belfast campus development.  The University disclosed some of the requested information to the complainant, agreed to allow him to attend to inspect some more of the requested information, however it withheld the remainder, citing section 43(2) as a basis for non-disclosure.The Commissioner’s decision is that the University has not correctly applied section 43(2) to the remaining requested information (“the withheld information”). The Commissioner requires the public authority to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation: to disclose the remaining withheld information within the scope of the complainant’s request to the complainant. The public authority must take these steps within 35 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of the Act and may be dealt with as a contempt of court.

FOI 43: Upheld