Public Health Scotland (Recruitment process: interview questions, scoring mechanism and success rates) [2024] ScotIC 062_2024 (22 April 2024)

Public Health Scotland (Recruitment process: interview questions, scoring mechanism and success rates) [2024] ScotIC 062_2024 (22 April 2024)

The Commissioner found that Public Health Scotland failed to demonstrate that disclosure of the requested information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs to the extent required by the exemption. The public interest in transparency and accountability in recruitment outweighed the arguments for withholding the information.

Citation
[2024] ScotIC 062_2024
Parties
Authority: Public Health Scotland; Applicant: Applicant
Jurisdiction
Scotland
Judgment Date
22 April 2024
Procedural Posture
Freedom of Information Appeal / Decision
Outcome
appeal allowed
Legal Topics
Freedom of Information, Public Sector Recruitment, Access to Information
Information Law Administrative Law Freedom of Information Public Sector Recruitment Access to Information

Case Brief

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Parties

Public Health Scotland

Authority

Applicant

Applicant

Procedural Posture

Freedom of Information Appeal / Decision

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether Public Health Scotland was required to disclose interview questions, scoring mechanism, and success rates under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Ratio Decidendi

The Commissioner found that Public Health Scotland failed to demonstrate that disclosure of the requested information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs to the extent required by the exemption. The public interest in transparency and accountability in recruitment outweighed the arguments for withholding the information.

Court Disposition

appeal allowed

Orders

  • Public Health Scotland is required to disclose the requested interview questions, scoring mechanism, and success rates to the applicant.