Release 12-16 weeks after refusal was not ‘soon’—s 18(d) did not apply
On 25 November 2016, the Ministry of Justice received a request for the September 2016 Quarterly Justice Sector report. On 8 December 2016, it refused this request under section 18(d), advising that the report would be published in March 2017. The requester complained to the Ombudsman.
The Chief Ombudsman’s staff explained that he was unlikely to accept that release 12-16 weeks after the refusal was ‘soon’. The Ministry then advanced other substantive reasons for withholding the report but the Chief Ombudsman did not accept these either. After further consideration, the Ministry decided to release the report.
This case note is published under the authority of the Ombudsmen Rules 1989. 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.