Information Rights

Providing guidance on freedom of information for those seeking official information and those handling requests, Information Rights:

Provides a detailed guide to the legislative regime governing rights of access to information held by public authorities

Incorporates guidance to central and local government; health, care and medical records; environmental information; personal information; educational information; economic and commercial information; and information held by the EU

Takes you through the relevant rules and duties which arise out of the rights to information, such as the duty to advise and assist, publication schemes, how to make a request and consultation with third parties

Gives a full explanation of exemptions

Explains the appeal and enforcement process

Features extensive references to tribunal and court decisions

Includes precedents to use for information requests

Identifies and discusses unresolved questions by reference to other jurisdictions (the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland) and an analysis of information rights under EU law

Reproduces legislation on a CD-ROM

CONTENTS

Eliciting official information

The comparative jurisdictions

The influence of the ECHR

Information rights under European Union law

Access to personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998

Access to environmental information under the Environmental Information Regulations 24

Public records

Other domestic information rights

The right to information under the Freedom of Information Act 2

The duty to advise and assist, codes, publication schemes and guidance

The request and the response

Disentitlement

Refusal

Exemptions: general principles

Prejudice and the public interest

Information otherwise accessible

Security bodies, national security and defence

International and internal relations

Economic and financial interests

Investigation, audit, law enforcement and the courts

Privilege

Policy formulation and public affairs

Health and safety

Personal information

Confidential information

Miscellaneous exemptions

The information commissioner and the information tribunal

Appeals

Enforcement

REVIEWSthis new edition is to be welcomed ... it provides a comprehensive resource in a field which would otherwise be difficult to research ... a single volume which brings together a host of contributors, each able to offer their own expertise on different aspects of the law ...a valuable tool that draws on the learning of other common law jurisdictions which have had longer experience of statutory information rights than the UK ... Any practitioner who needs to consider information rights owes a considerable debt of thanks to Philip Coppel and his fellow authors. Jonathan Crow QC, 4 Stone Buildings .