Decision pursuant to 6.1, 2020 OIC 17
An institution applied to the Information Commissioner for approval to decline to act on an access request, claiming it was vexatious and an abuse of the right to access records. The institution noted the requester had submitted 893 requests over 17 years, many similar to the current one. The Commissioner found that 11 of the requests were duplicative and that the requester had not provided justification for resubmitting them. The Commissioner concluded that the volume and repetitive nature of the requests, combined with the requester's history of complaints, amounted to an abuse of the right of access.
- Whether the access request was vexatious
- Whether the access request constituted an abuse of the right to access records
- Whether the institution met the threshold for declining to act on the request
Section 6.1 application granted
The Commissioner found that the institution demonstrated that the access request was vexatious due to its repetitive nature and the lack of justification for resubmission. The Commissioner also found that the volume of requests, their repetitive nature, and the requester's history of complaints constituted an abuse of the right of access.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
The institution was required to advise the requester of its decision whether to decline to act on the access request and provide its reasons.
- s.6.1 ATIA
This is an informational summary and not legal advice.