UN-REDACTING the redactors: do Haringey Council lawyers redact fairly and reasonably?

IN response to formal Requests to Haringey Council for documents under the Freedom of Information Act, council lawyers will often redact words, sentences, paragraphs or whole pages, or any information which in their view is sensitive.

The public is left to trust that—using skills and professional standards—these legal officers will act with care, in good faith and in a fair and reasonable way.

However, a recent judgement (Case Reference: EA/2023/0217) by an Information Rights Tribunal calls this into question. A judge has recently disclosed some of our council's efforts:

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… We [the Tribunal] concluded that far more had been redacted than needed on any basis to support the exemption claimed. We gained an impression that there had been a blanket approach taken. To illustrate this only (without undermining the rule 14 protection in place) we noted for example:-

(a) in the 10 March 2020 Minutes redacted material included unnamed staff being thanked and arrangements for Members.

(b) in the 12 May 2020 Minutes redacted material included a comment about the need to work with finance on a project.

(c) in the 7 July 2020 Minutes redacted material included the statement about items from the previous meeting being the agenda and that one councillor had no questions.

(d) in the 29 September 2020 Minutes redacted material included that an item was introduced and that a councillor delivered a presentation and that councillors asked to be kept updated.

(e) in the 27 October 2020 Minutes redacted material included an apology for late papers.

(f) in the 12 January 2021 Minutes redacted material included questions being asked by councillors and that details would appear on the Council's website.

(g) in the 16 February 2021 Minutes redacted material included a question about the timing of reports.

(h) in the 20 April 2021 Minutes redacted material included a comment for example that messaging needs to be right.

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(my bolding)

Do council lawyers redact information fairly and in good faith?

Is there any accountability?