I regularly criticise the Information Commissioner’s Office on this blog. But credit where it’s due. They have upheld a complaint about the Met Police’s handling of a Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) request, in which the Met, remarkably, had argued that the request for information about police officers stopping people without cause and asking for their ID was vexatious (per section 14(1) of FOIA).
Clearly, there was some history to the request and the requester, and in line with authority, the Met were entitled to take this into account at arriving at their (now overturned) decision. But, as the decision notice points out, one of the factors which they said pointed towards vexatiousness was this:
Complainant’s focus upon police misconduct and/or related issues
I’ll say that again
Complainant’s focus upon police misconduct and/or related issues
Yes, the Met did indeed argue that a focus by a FOIA requester on police misconduct was a factor which led them to believe there was a pattern of behaviour which made this request (about stopping people without cause and asking for their ID) vexatious.
So well done ICO for dismissing that argument.
The views in this post (and indeed most posts on this blog) are my personal ones, and do not represent the views of any organisation I am involved with.
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