Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police

The complainant requested a specified protocol relating to Warwickshire Hunt. Warwickshire Police refused to provide the requested information citing section 32 of FOIA – the exemption for court records etc, and section 42 of FOIA – the exemption for legal professional privilege. The complainant challenged both the application of the FOIA exemptions and whether the request should instead have been considered under the EIR. The Commissioner’s decision is that FOIA is the correct statutory regime for this request for the reasons set out in this notice. He also finds that Warwickshire Police was entitled to rely on section 32(1)(b) of FOIA to refuse this request. As he has found section 32(1)(b) to be engaged, the Commissioner has not deemed it necessary to consider Warwickshire Police’s additional reliance on section 42(1) of FOIA. No steps are required as a result of this decision.