“I contend that there is a pressing social need to know the details of the Events that
took place at the University of Essex that are recounted in the Report...”
117.
In the GoA (A51) he puts his case that:-
those UoE officials who took decisions concerning the Events recounted in the
Report should be identified by name and title, for reasons of accountability.
the names and identifying information of all others (e.g. junior staff, students)
should be redacted.
that UoE officials who are in senior, decision-making and/or public-facing roles
should be identified including the VC, the Registrar, heads of departments and
centres, senior academic staff.
118. The Appellant also says that in his view (A51) where information has been
put into the public domain voluntarily it should be disclosed in full but that “It
nevertheless seems reasonable, as a courtesy to those individuals, to redact their
names and other identifying information (such as Twitter handles)”
119. The Appellant in the GoA reviewed 15 classes of data in the Report(A37)
and his view on each (A52) as regards this exemption. These are summarised
below:The Report
Appellant's view
General background information about
the University of Essex and its
subdivisions
This is manifestly not personal data
General background information about
the two invited speakers
This is general background information that was
voluntarily placed in the public domain by the two
speakers; moreover, it is in no way sensitive. Items (1) and
(4) both apply.
General background information about
the two Events
General background information about the two Events is
not personal data. The proposed content of the two
invited speakers’ contributions was voluntarily placed in
the public domain by the two speakers; items (1) and (4)
both apply.
Factual statements about the
procedures that were (or were not)
followed in organising the two Events.
This is manifestly not personal data
Official public announcements, by the
University or any of its subdivisions,
concerning the two Events (whether on
the website of the University or any of
its subdivisions, on other Internet
forums such as Twitter or Facebook, or
any other public forum)
This is manifestly not personal data
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