RC and Department of Police

Application number:
2005 F0316
Decision date:
Thursday, Jan 12, 2006

RC and Queensland Police Service
(2005 F0316, 12 January 2006)

Personal affairs

The applicant sought access to documents held by the Queensland Police Service relating to a complaint of assault made against him. The matter in issue contained the age, date of birth, home and mobile telephone numbers and signature of the complainant, as well as the signature of the reporting officer. 

The applicant asserted that when the alleged assault took place, the complainant was trespassing on the applicant's property and unlawfully entered his house, while serving court documents.  The applicant said that the actions of the complainant outweighed any public interest in protecting the complainant's privacy, and the matter in issue should be released so that he could pursue any avenues of legal redress that might be available. AC Rangihaeata found that all of the matter in issue was properly characterised as the personal affairs of the complainant. She also found that the balance of the public interest was in favour of non-disclosure, as refusing the applicant access to the matter in issue would not prevent him from pursuing any legal remedy.