Campbell and University of Southern Queensland
(1993 S0209, 26 May 1995)
Campbell and Department of Education
(1993 S0210, 26 May 1995)
These cases involved the application of the principles relating to ‘sufficiency of search’ cases set out in Shepherd and Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning (1994) 1 QAR 464, in a situation where the applicant contended that further documents should be held by the respondent agencies relating to changes in a tertiary course at the time of semesterisation. The Information Commissioner found that each agency had located and dealt with all documents in its possession or control which fell within the terms of the FOI access application.
The Information Commissioner also made general observations (at paragraphs 47-51) about the benefits which can accrue, in potential ‘sufficiency of search’ cases, through agencies giving detailed explanations to applicants about the type and extent of searches which have been undertaken in an effort to satisfy an FOI access application.