Cuttler and Legal Aid Queensland

Application number:
2004 F0776
Decision date:
Wednesday, Jun 22, 2005

Cuttler and Legal Aid Queensland
(2004 F0776, 22 June 2005) 

Sufficiency of search

The applicant sought access to documents held by Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ) in relation to his application for legal aid and associated information.  LAQ advised the applicant that some documents had been destroyed in accordance with the LAQ Retention Schedule and that legal advice provided by a private practitioner was not held by LAQ.  The applicant raised issues relating to "sufficiency of search". 

Applying the principles stated in Shepard and Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning (1994) 1 QAR 464, Information Commissioner Taylor was satisfied that the searches and inquiries by LAQ to locate additional documents had been reasonable in all the circumstances of the case, and that there were no reasonable grounds for believing that additional documents existed in the LAQ's possession or under their control.