The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) conducts reviews and complaints in regards to freedom of information (FOI) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
Information Commissioner reviews
FOI applicants can request that the Australian Information Commissioner (Information Commissioner) review a decision made by an agency or minister under the FOI Act. This may include a decision to:
- refuse full access to documents
- refuse to amend an individual’s personal information
- charge for access to documents.
Information Commissioner review (IC review) is also available in some circumstances to third parties appealing a decision to provide information about them to an FOI applicant.
Applicants can seek IC review either after receiving that decision or after they have asked the agency or minister to reconsider the decision (which is known as ‘internal review’).
For more information on how and when to request IC review, please see the FOI reviews page.
FOI complaints
Individuals can complain to the Information Commissioner if they have concerns about actions an agency has taken under the FOI Act. This is a separate process to that of applying for IC review, which focuses on how an agency deals with an individual’s FOI request as distinct from the FOI decision itself.
For more information on how and when to make an FOI complaint, please see the FOI complaints page.
