This page contains information for people who have made requests for information and want to appeal against the answer they received. It explains the remit of the Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal, and how to contact them.
If you have made a request for information to an organisation and are unhappy with the result, you should first ask the organisation to review their decision. This review should be carried out by someone who was not connected with the initial decision.
Information Commissioner
Information Tribunal
If you are still unhappy after your request has been reviewed, you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner is the independent authority who administers and enforces most of the laws on access to information in the UK. His remit includes the Freedom of Information Act, the Data Protection Act, the Environmental Information Regulations and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.
Website of the Information Commissioner
Scotland has its own Freedom of Information Act, the Freedom of Information ( Scotland ) Act 2002. It also has a separate Scottish Information Commissioner who enforces that Act.
Website of the Scottish Information Commissioner
Both the Information Commissioners can take action against organisations who are not complying with the law. This usually involves issuing a 'notice' to the organisation which sets out the Commissioner's decision in a case and sometimes requires the organisation to do, or stop doing, something.
Contact details for the Information Commissioner's Office
The Information Tribunal hears appeals against decisions of the Information Commissioner.
In Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations cases, either the requester or the public authority can bring an appeal.
(In Data Protection or Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations cases, the only notices the Commissioner can issue are those which require the organisation to do, or stop doing something - called 'information' or 'enforcement' notices. Only the organisation can appeal against these notices.)
Appeals are heard by a Chairman, supported by two lay members. The way appeals are conducted are set out by formal Rules of Procedure.
Contact details for the Information Tribunal