FAR and Department of Families, Youth and Community Care

Application number:
1994 S0025
Decision date:
Tuesday, Nov 10, 1998

FAR and Department of Families, Youth and Community Care
 (1994 S0025, 10 November 1998)

 

The applicant sought access to matter comprising the name of the town of residence of the individual identified by the applicant's birth mother (in documents relating to the applicant's adoption) as being the applicant's natural father. (The name of that individual (the 'putative father') had been disclosed to the applicant by the respondent.) 

Applying the principles in Stewart and Department of Transport (1993) 1 QAR 227 and B and Brisbane North Regional Health Authority(1994) 1 QAR 279, the Information Commissioner held that the matter in issue concerned the personal affairs of the 'putative father', and thus was prima facie exempt under s.44(1) of the FOI Act, subject to the application of the public interest balancing test in s.44(1).