Enforcement Notice Issued To Croydon Council For Failure to Comply With FOIA

The Information Commissioner (ICO) issued an enforcement notice to Croydon Council on 26 September 2022 due to persistent non-compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). The Council had been issuing decision notices with no discernible improvement in performance upon assessment by the ICO. As a result, the Commissioner directed the Council to respond to all outstanding requests that were more than 20 working days old no later than six months from the date of the enforcement notice and devise and publish an action plan to improve future compliance within 35 days. Failure to adhere to these directions may lead the High Court to find the Council in contempt of court for disobeying a legal obligation. The intention of the enforcement notice is to ensure improved transparency and accountability on the part of the Council and thus guarantee citizens’ rights to access public information.