R (Evans) v Attorney General

Subject Matter

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION — Exempt information — Accountable person’s certificate — Upper Tribunal ordering partial disclosure of correspondence between Prince of Wales and government departments — Attorney General issuing certificate effectively overriding requirement for disclosure — Whether “reasonable grounds” justifying issue of certificate — Whether certification concerning environmental information permissible — Whether compatible with European Union law and treaty obligations on access to environmental information — Freedom of Information Act 2000, s 53(2) — Environmental Information Regulations 2004, reg 18 — Parliament and Council Directive 2003/4/EC, art 6 — Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, art 47 — Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (1998), art 9

[2013] EWHC 1960 (Admin); [2014] QB 855; [2013] 3 WLR 1631; [2014] 1 All ER 23; [2013] WLR (D) 313, DC

[2014] EWCA Civ 254; [2014] QB 855; [2014] 2 WLR 1334; [2014] 3 All ER 682; [2014] WLR (D) 124, CA

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION — Exempt information — Accountable person’s certificate — Upper Tribunal ordering partial disclosure of correspondence between Prince of Wales and government departments — Attorney General issuing certificate effectively overriding requirement for disclosure — Whether “reasonable grounds” justifying issue of certificate — Whether certification concerning environmental information compatible with EU law and treaty obligations on access to environmental information — Freedom of Information Act 2000, s 53(2) — Environmental Information Regulations 2004, reg 18 — Parliament and Council Directive 2003/4/EC, art 6 — Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, art 47 — Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (1998), art 9

[2015] UKSC 21; [2015] AC 1787; [2015] 2 WLR 813; [2015] 4 All ER 395; [2015] WLR (D) 151; Case details, SC(E)

Appellate History