Dekker and Department of Justice and Attorney-General

Application number:
1995 S0102
Decision date:
Friday, Jan 14, 2000

Dekker and Department of Justice & Attorney-General
(1995 S0102, 14 January 2000) 

The applicant sought access to documents comprising correspondence, internal memoranda and filenotes held by the respondent.  The documents were generated to assist the Attorney-General in making appropriate responses to the applicant's letters regarding her past claim for workers' compensation and subsequent appeals, and other matters of concern to her.

 

The Information Commissioner found that those documents (with the exception of one, to which access was given) attracted legal professional privilege and were exempt under s.43(1) of the FOI Act.  The Information Commissioner rejected the applicant's claims that the 'improper purpose' exception applied so as to defeat the claim for legal professional privilege.  The Information Commissioner also rejected her claim that legal professional privilege had been waived by the respondent.