Subjects:

Data Protection

Contents:

Original isbn - 0199249946

PART A:

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

1 The Historical Background

2 The Debate in Parliament

3 An Overview

PART B: THE PRESENT

4 Freedom of Information until January 2005

PART C:

THE STATUTORY SCHEME

5 Access to Information Held by Public Authorities

6 Exempt Information

7 Enforcement

8 Historical Records

PART D:

A COMPARATIVE VIEW

9 A Comparison with Freedom of Information Elsewhere

PART

E: RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER STATUTES

10 Data Protection

11 Medical Records

12 Secrecy

13 Whistle-Blowing

14 Money Laundering

15 Local Government

16 The Environment and Other Statutes

PART F:

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND THE COMMERCIAL WORLD

17 Implications for Business

18 Freedom of Information in Commercial Disputes

19 The Internet

PART G:

PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

20. Privacy and Confidentiality

21. The Human Rights Act 1998

PART H:

DEVOLUTION

22. Scotland

23. Wales and Northern Ireland

PART I:

THE EUROPEAN UNION AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

24. The European Union

25. The Right to Know in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States

PART J:

THE FUTURE

26. The Future

APPENDICES

I:

PRACTICAL GUIDES

A. Good Practice Guide for Public Authorities

B. Guide to Applying for Information under the Act

II: MATERIALS

C. Freedom of Information Act 2000 (as amended)

D. Lord Chancellor's Code of Practice on the Discharge of Public Authorities' Functions under Part I of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Issued under section 45 of the Act (November 2002)

E. Lord Chancellor's Code of Practice on the Management of Records under Section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (November 2002)

F. Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Second Edition 1997) (The Open Government Code)

G. The Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters 1998 (Preamble and Articles 1,2,3,4,5 and 9)

H. Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Courncil of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents

I. United States Freedom of Information Act 1966 (as amended): Title 5 of the US Code, section 552

J. Draft Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations (pursuant to sections 9,12 and 13 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000)

K. Draft Environmental Information Regulations (pursuant to section 74 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000)

The Law of Freedom of Information has become an authoritative practitioner work on the subject. The main work was published to coincide with the coming into force of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and its comprehensive, analytical approach provides the complete reference volume for practitioners advising on the new legislation: those working within or advising the myriad public bodies upon which the Act imposes new duties regarding the disclosure and handling of information; those advising clients with a personal, professional or commercial interest in obtaining information from those newly obliged to provide it; and those in the business community for whom the Act raises important concerns about the potential accessibility of commercially sensitive information.

Written by an expert team of public lawyers from New Square Chambers, the book offers a comprehensive analysis of the Act, with detailed coverage of the related subjects of confidentiality, privacy, data protection, official secrets, the internet and whistle blowing. The book contains practical examples of how the Act works, drawn from cases and practice in other jurisdictions where freedom of information has long been a reality, eg United States, Ireland, Canada and Australia. John Macdonald QC, Clive H Jones and the author team have extensive practical knowledge of how government and the public sector work, and how they interconnect with the media and business worlds. The book has a refreshingly practical approach and includes a guide to best practice which will be essential reading for all local government lawyers. It is kept up to date with regular paperback updating supplements.

This set includes the first cumulative supplement, which brings the main work up to date to June 2005. It includes full analysis of the guidance issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in October 2004 and the current awareness guidance and policy development documents issued by the Information Commissioner. The authors also examine the first decisions of the Commissioner and the decisions of the Ombudsman including her ruling on the disclosure of the advice given by the Attorney General on the legality of the war with Iraq. In addition, the supplement covers recent decisions from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland, as well as UK decisions on data protection and confidentiality.

• The Main work was published in March 2003
• The First Supplement was published in January 2006