External Review

The Right to Information reforms aim to make access to documents held by public agencies easier.  Agencies are expected to provide administrative access to the maximum extent possible so that citizens do not have to resort to the use of the  Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act). However, where you have been unable to obtain access to the documents you are seeking the RTI Act provides a right of access to documents of an agency or a Minister, and the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act) allows individuals to seek access to, or amendment of, those documents to the extent they contain their personal information.

If you have applied under the RTI Act or the IP Act for access to documents and you are dissatisfied with the decision, you are entitled to seek internal review of the decision. You are encouraged to seek internal review in the first instance as in many cases the agency will be able to assist you.  If you remain dissatisfied with the agency’s internal review decision, you may apply to the Information Commissioner for an external review.

Visit our Freedom of Information external review page for information on lodging an external review application under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (repealed).

Notes:

·       The Office will accept an application for external review via post, fax, email, our online webform or in person.  See our Contact us page for fax and address details.

·       An application for external review must be received by the Office within 20 business days from the date stated on the written notice of decision by the agency or Minister. Under certain circumstances, the Information Commissioner may extend this period.

·       There are no fees or charges for making an external review application.  However, each participant in a review must pay any costs they incur during a review, eg. for obtaining legal advice or photocopying documents to the Office to support an application.

·       For more information on the external review process, please download our External Review Guideline.

·       Visit the Decisions page to review our external review decisions.

Complete external review application webform.