Alan Dransfield is due before the Court of Appeal on the 27th or 28th of this month (to be confirmed) soley to argue the definition and interpretation of section 14(1) vexatious, which is related to Dransfield’s FOIA request for technical data on Exeter Chiefs pedestrian bridge, which has been previously denied under section 14(1) Vexatious.
The case ref is C3/2013/1855 Dransfield v ICO and Devon County Council.
The FOIA celebrates its 10th Birthday next month and has operated for the last decade without any clear legal definition of section 14(1) vexatious.
For the first time Dransfield will represented in court by pro bono legal advisers.
Dransfield is very excited at the prospect of appearing in a test case before the Court of Appeal and could actually be the saviour of the FOIA, because if he loses his case, he fears Joe Public will be gagged for ever and prevented from asking questions of public authorities. He also claims his FOIA request is not vexatious owing to the health and safety ramifications of the health and safety defects on the bridge and stadium.
