McMahon and Department of Justice and Attorney-General

McMahon and Department of Justice & Attorney-General
(2001 S0246, 25 September 2002) 

The applicant contended that the respondent ought to have more documents in its possession or under its control which related to its document retention and destruction processes, thus raising a 'sufficiency of search' issue. 

Assistant Commissioner Moss noted that her experience of past records management practices of Queensland government agencies had shown that basic procedures for records management were not necessarily documented.  She was satisfied by the respondent's evidence that the relevant destruction schedules and guidelines to which the applicant had been given access were the only records management documentation relied on by staff of the respondent at the relevant time, and that there were therefore no reasonable grounds for believing that additional responsive documents existed in the respondent's possession or under its control.