Peter Stead v Information Commissioner

Peter Stead v Information Commissioner

The IPO was entitled to rely on exemptions under sections 27(1)(a) and (b) FOIA to withhold information relating to international relations, and section 40(2) FOIA to withhold personal data, as disclosure would likely prejudice international relations and breach data protection principles; public interest in maintaining the exemptions outweighed the interest in disclosure.

Parties
Appellant: Peter Stead; Respondent: Information Commissioner
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
28 April 2026
Procedural Posture
Appeal / Final Judgment
Outcome
Appeal dismissed
Legal Topics
Freedom of Information Act 2000, Copyright and Database Exception, Text and Data Mining, Personal Data, International Trade Negotiations
Information Rights Data Protection International Relations Freedom of Information Act 2000 Copyright and Database Exception Text and Data Mining Personal Data International Trade Negotiations

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Parties

Peter Stead

Appellant

Information Commissioner

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Appeal / Final Judgment

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether exemptions under sections 27(1)(a) and (b) FOIA are engaged and outweigh public interest in disclosure
  2. 2 Whether disclosure of withheld personal data would contravene data protection principles under section 40(2) FOIA

Ratio Decidendi

The IPO was entitled to rely on exemptions under sections 27(1)(a) and (b) FOIA to withhold information relating to international relations, and section 40(2) FOIA to withhold personal data, as disclosure would likely prejudice international relations and breach data protection principles; public interest in maintaining the exemptions outweighed the interest in disclosure.

Court Disposition

Appeal dismissed