Yeah, a couple of us from the Camp for Climate Action media team have had problems getting FOI requests back. Someone eventually received a really late answer and I gave up after 4 months of being fobbed off.

There's no penalty for not producing information within the 40 day time limit, so most organisations fail to meet it. Try getting innocuous information out of local authorities: Oldham takes an average of 88 days, Liverpool an average of 60.
Though you should complain to the Information Commissioner. They should follow the law.

Annie great website thanks for that. Maybe we need some coordinated huge stink on this DPA thing. I was once convicted under the DPA for releasing HLS extension numbers when I managed to get in one of their offices and read them from a piece of paper on a wall to someone using an HLS phone so really if I as an ordinary person can be dragged into Crown Court and given probation, community service, a fine and a very close shave with prison then I fail to see why they should get away with it. I was also convicted of stealing a fraction of a penny of electricity (the amount of electricity apparently generated when I picked up the phone) but when I told my probation officer that a breach of the DPA was an offence only punishable by fine she told me that it wasn't (she was vile and thick). I still fail to see how I could have been even just charged with this nonsense but there we are found guilty by a jury etc etc. Dragging them into court might be fun if we can they deserve it.

Given that most people on this site call for breaking the law and justifying it in the quest for their ideals, I'd give the woman a break otherwise you might be called a hypocrite.

Maybe this woman thinks that the Information requests are stupid and she is allowed to break the law. How is that different to tearing down some billboard signs which is also against the law?

I was talking about Kent Police as an institution. I doubt very much that the poor soul/s who do the paperwork are that accountable and a possible DPA prosecution will see Kent Police in the dock not some hapless civilian who could not cope with the workload. My fight is not with such a person but I personally fail to see why we should give any quarter whatsoever to the police who smash down our doors, hospitalise us, watch us constantly, threaten us, persecute us and oppress us for the most trivial nonsense when THEY break the law. The law and the courts can be effective weapons we should either use them and/or resort to other ways of teaching the police some manners. Personally I would rather resort to peaceful legal means such as complaining to the IC rather than risk serious jail time. They can be petty, well I can play that game as well. You are probably a nicer person than me Merit but this is also about damage limitation in the future. Activists suing, complaining, etc means they might think twice before being such arseholes in the future.

Quote:'Given that most people on this site call for breaking the law and justifying it in the quest for their ideals, I'd give the woman a break otherwise you might be called a hypocrite. '

As for breaking the law, I'd hope that most people who advocate any such thing, do so for lawful reason.

Like the fireman who causes property damage to save children from a burning building.
Intruding on the private land of a power station, may be lawfully justified if it is genuinely an attempt to prevent greater crime, if the perpetrator can convincingly explain how, to a jury.

Taking property of some one, or imprisoning them, may be lawful, if it is genuinely an attempt to prevent criminal damage, if the perpetrator can convincingly explain how, to a jury.

The difference is that it is easy for the police to get the public before a jury, but it is almost impossible for the public get police before a jury. It's one rule for us, and another rule for them.

And increasingly public jurys are being replaced a judge from a ruling elite.

Dear Lynn,

In order to find out what ranks above "urgent interest" i suggest that you do the following:

1) visit the following site:  http://www.itgovernance.co.uk/dpa-penalties.aspx

2) splash out on the obvious publication on sale there.

3) run classes on the subject matter.

4) after a suitable period of time put in another dpa request, pointing out the new penalties for non complience.

Be well, be seeing you!