Mrs. Z and Social Welfare Appeals Office (Social Welfare Appeals Office) [2022] IEIC 121827 (15 September 2022)

Mrs. Z and Social Welfare Appeals Office (Social Welfare Appeals Office) [2022] IEIC 121827 (15 September 2022)

The applicant's repeated and similar FOI requests, after all relevant records had been released and previous reviews affirmed the SWAO's decisions, constituted a pattern of conduct amounting to an abuse of the right of access. The SWAO was justified in refusing the request as vexatious under section 15(1)(g) of the...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2022] IEIC 121827
Parties
Applicant: Mrs. Z; Respondent: Social Welfare Appeals Office
Jurisdiction
Ireland
Judgment Date
15 September 2022
Procedural Posture
Freedom of Information Review / Decision on Review
Outcome
request refused
Legal Topics
Vexatious Requests, Right of Access, Public Body Obligations, Abuse of Process
Administrative Law Freedom of Information Vexatious Requests Right of Access Public Body Obligations Abuse of Process

Source-derived case record

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 6 Party arguments 2
Sign in to unlock

Parties

Mrs. Z

Applicant

Social Welfare Appeals Office

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Freedom of Information Review / Decision on Review

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the SWAO was justified in refusing the applicant's FOI request under section 15(1)(g) of the FOI Act on the ground that the request was vexatious

Ratio Decidendi

The applicant's repeated and similar FOI requests, after all relevant records had been released and previous reviews affirmed the SWAO's decisions, constituted a pattern of conduct amounting to an abuse of the right of access. The SWAO was justified in refusing the request as vexatious under section 15(1)(g) of the FOI Act.

Court Disposition

request refused