Outcomes - Selected Case Summaries
Categories
Minutes Relating to the Applicant’s Business
Informal Resolution | 19 October 2021
Health Regulatory Services (HRS) , Health Practice Commissioner (HPC)
An applicant’s business was affected by a decision of the HPC. He requested the minutes of the meetings in which that decision was made, but was denied access and appealed. During our investigation, we requested unredacted records of the minutes for our routine internal analysis. However, we received heavily redacted copies with virtually all items relating to the applicant’s business blacked out. The IM sought to explain to us that the redacted parts of the records did not relate to the case, and we would not be provided with unredacted copies of the minutes.
We met with the HPC’s legal counsellors, and explained the powers of the Ombudsman under the FOI Act to them. Given the broad formulation of the request, they agreed that the minutes should be provided in full for our analysis. More discussions ensued, and HPC disclosed further records with some redactions (with reasons) to the applicant. He then agreed the case could be closed.