Understanding Vexatious Requests: An ICO Toolkit for Compliance with FOI Act

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has developed a five-module self-assessment course to help public authorities understand when and how to correctly apply the vexatious provision of the Freedom of Information Act. The toolkit provides resources for FOI practitioners to assess the current position, understand the provision, learn how to make improvements, calculate response times and costs, as well as review case studies, watch training videos, fill a template action plan and use a response rate calculator. Analysis shows that the application of the vexatious provision leads to the third highest number of complaints received each year, thus making it an important accountability tool to ensure complete transparency between organisations and its publics. Aimed at promoting good practices, the toolkit is set to help public authorities build trust and confidence in their decision-making process.