Peter Webb v Information Commissioner

Peter Webb v Information Commissioner

The Tribunal found that the volume and pattern of the Appellant's requests constituted a disproportionate and manifestly unjustified use of FOIA, imposing a significant burden on the small Council team. The requests were vexatious by the time of Request One on 11 June 2021 and continued to be so. The Council was entitled to rely on section 14(1) FOIA to refuse all six requests and on section 17(6) FOIA not to issue further refusal notices for Requests Five and Six.

Parties
Appellant: Peter Webb; Respondent: Information Commissioner
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
11 September 2024
Procedural Posture
Appeal / Final Judgment
Outcome
Appeal dismissed
Legal Topics
Freedom of Information, Vexatious Requests, Section 14 FOIA, Section 17(6) FOIA
Information Law Administrative Law Freedom of Information Vexatious Requests Section 14 FOIA Section 17(6) FOIA

Case Brief

Summary, issues, holding and outcome

More case intelligence is available

Unlock the full research layer for this judgment.

Full judgment text Downloadable case file Legal principles 2 Authorities cited 4 Party arguments 2 Amounts and remedies 3
Sign in to unlock

Parties

Peter Webb

Appellant

Information Commissioner

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Appeal / Final Judgment

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the Council was entitled to rely on section 14(1) FOIA to refuse to reply to the six requests
  2. 2 Whether the Council was entitled to rely on section 17(6) FOIA to refuse to provide any refusal notice to the Appellant in relation to Requests Five and Six

Ratio Decidendi

The Tribunal found that the volume and pattern of the Appellant's requests constituted a disproportionate and manifestly unjustified use of FOIA, imposing a significant burden on the small Council team. The requests were vexatious by the time of Request One on 11 June 2021 and continued to be so. The Council was entitled to rely on section 14(1) FOIA to refuse all six requests and on section 17(6) FOIA not to issue further refusal notices for Requests Five and Six.

Court Disposition

Appeal dismissed