The Ombudsman considered a complaint about the decision of Victoria University of Wellington (the University) to charge for the supply of information sought under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) about academic misconduct by international students.
The Ombudsman formed the opinion that the decision to fix a charge was reasonable, as was the amount of the charge, as amended during the course of the investigation. He did not consider that the University was required, for public interest reasons or otherwise, to reduce or cancel the charge.
This case note is published under the authority of the Ombudsmen Rules 1989 opens page in this tab. It sets out an Ombudsman’s view on the facts of a particular case. It should not be taken as establishing any legal precedent that would bind an Ombudsman in future.