Practitioners tend to have a few mantras about the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Some of those mantras admit of exceptions (“it’s requester and motive blind” may, for instance, fall away where the wider context of the request needs to be considered in “vexatious” cases) but the mantra that “anyone, anywhere can make a request” had never been seriously challenged, until recently.
In conjoined cases, the First tier Tribunal – apparently, one understands, of its own volition – had raised an issue as to whether FOIA did indeed have extra-territorial application – contrary to the standard approach to statutory construction whereby UK legislation applies only to those who are citizens of the UK, or on its territory – such that requests could be made by anyone, anywhere in the world.
If the Tribunal had decided that the standard approach applied, and no extra-territorial effect was in place, there would have been a significant diminution of rights, and a consequent diminution in the accountability of public authorities. More practically, we would have no doubt seen, at least from some public authorities, identity verification measures being directed at requesters.
Thankfully, the Tribunal decided that there was extra-territorial effect, in a decision handed down orally on 27 January (with written reasons to follow).
There are posts about the case(s) on both Cornerstone Barristers’ and Doughty Street’s websites.
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