Outcomes - Selected Case Summaries
Categories
Electronic Monitoring Centre records requested
Informal Resolution | 23 June 2023
Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC)
An applicant submitted a request for records from the Electronic Monitoring Centre of the DPSC. No response was provided by the Department and a request for an internal review also went unanswered, after which the applicant made an appeal to the Ombudsman. The Department claimed not to have received the request.
After some delays DPSC provided responsive records for part of the request, but other records were withheld, as DPDC claimed that disclosure would unreasonably divert their resources. DSPC also applied the exemption relating to trade secrets and commercial values to additional records.
The applicant expressed his concerns with the completeness and accuracy of the disclosed records, and agreed to narrow the time period of the request. We asked DPSC to undertake a further search for one particular record, as a result of which further records relating to the electronic monitoring system were located and disclosed. This concluded the DPSC’s obligations under the FOIA, and the case was closed.