FOI guidance on the public interest test updated following Supreme Court ruling
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has updated its guidance on how the public interest test should be applied under freedom of information law, following a Supreme Court ruling that apparently shifted or clarified the standard.
Why this matters: The public interest test is the main gate between you and information the government wants to keep private. When that test shifts, so does what officials can legally withhold. Updated ICO guidance shapes how every public body in the UK decides what to release and what to refuse. If the new standard tilts toward withholding, requesters lose ground. If it tilts toward disclosure, that is real accountability. The ruling behind this change is worth reading before assuming it goes either way.
Who should care: Lawyers · Compliance
This summary is AI-assisted and may contain errors. It is an original briefing to help you gauge significance quickly — not a reproduction of the source. Always read the linked original before relying on it. See our methodology.