Iraq Cabinet minutes FOI case
Tomorrow the Information Tribunal will start hearing a freedom of information case about cabinet minutes that could have major repercussions for the impact of FOI. It is being treated with great importance both within government and within the Information Commissioner's Office.
The case concerns the records of cabinet meetings in March 2003 which considered legal advice on the imminent invasion of Iraq.
The Information Commissioner Richard Thomas ruled earlier this year that the formal minutes of these meetings should be revealed. The Cabinet Office is now appealing against this to the Tribunal.
Richard Thomas however decided not to support the disclosure of the notebook in which the Cabinet Secretary records discussion during the meetings. The Tribunal will also consider this material, which may be more detailed.
The significance the government attaches to this hearing is clear from the fact that they have decided that the Cabinet Secretary himself Sir Gus O'Donnell will give evidence to argue that releasing these minutes could impede free and frank discussion in the future. The Information Commissioner's Office is planning to have the distinguished Whitehall historian Prof Peter Hennessy give evidence on their side.
There are numerous other cases about Cabinet minutes still under consideration by the Information Commissioner. This hearing could set an informal and influential precedent, although each FOI application has to be decided on its individual circumstances and the Commissioner is arguing that 'release of these two specific and unusual sets of Cabinet minutes would not in itself undermine the convention of Cabinet collective responsibility'.
If the Tribunal rejects the government's appeal, Ministers are most unlikely to give in at that stage. They could either use a special provision of the FOI Act to overrule the Tribunal for the first time, or they could appeal to the High Court.
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I'm curious if anyone from the UK has asked for any information on intelligence received from Hussein Kamil. (For those of you who don't know, Kamil was the head of Saddam's WMD program until his defection. After his defection, most media outlets reported that the WMD program was bigger than they thought. However, most media outlets didn't report that he stated that the WMD programs were destroyed.
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9509/iraq_defector/kamel_transcript/index.html
http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/docs/unscom950822.pdf
After a while Saddam offered to allow him to return to Iraq. After he returned, his wife promptly was granted a divorce and Kamil was murdered.)
I asked the CIA for any info it had regarding Kamil a few years back. In response, I got a letter saying they could not confirm or deny the information existed. (This was disappointing, but it was still cool to see they really talked that way...)
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I just wonder if the government had any estimate of how much a war against Iraq would cost and I want to know how much of our national debt is down to that war?
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Well well well, what are we all to conclude from Jack Straw's veto? When will truth break surface exposing Mr Straw and six houses Blair for their weakness of character. I will never forget, will you?
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I am a member of the british public, and i want to know about are desision to go to(an illegal) war in iraq, how can this not be in my interest???
Imagine if u lost a son, would it be in your interest then!
ohh... and god bless dr kelly
are goverment is corrupt and does not serve it's people.
remember to destroy your ballot card as a protest to this god awful way we are govened
xxxx
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Using the FOI act to stop freedom of information.
I almost fell off my chair laughing !
I won't vote again until this country becomes a proper functioning democracy.
Cheers
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The chaotic scenery of the country shows the true colors of the government. When will this end?
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