Noble and Department of Police

Application number:
2005 F0330
Decision date:
Monday, Jul 10, 2006

Noble and Queensland Police Service
(2005 F0330, 10 July 2006)

Sufficiency of search

The applicant in this case applied for a review of the 'sufficiency of search' conducted by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) for documents relating to the investigation of the death of his aunt. 

The applicant contended that there was reason to believe that further documents including notes, photographs and negatives existed in QPS' possession or control. Further searches were performed during the course of the review, but no further documents responsive to the applicant's freedom of information application were located. 

Applying the principles stated in Shepherd and Department of Housing, Local Government & Planning (1994) 1 QAR 464, Assistant Commissioner White affirmed the decision under review as she was satisfied that there were no reasonable grounds for believing that there exists, in the possession or under the control of QPS, any further documents falling within the terms of the applicant’s freedom of information access application.  The searches and inquiries conducted by QPS in an effort to locate any further responsive documents were reasonable in all the circumstances of the case.