The just published latest edition of Anne Summers Reports includes (page 6) my brief summary of the arguments advanced in the successful leave application to the High Court in Kline v Official Secretary to the Governor General, the long running battle over access to information about administration of the Honours system.
The issue is the scope of the Freedom of information Act and the meaning of the words "relate to matter of an administrative nature" in the context of the powers and functions of the Governor
General in administering the Order of Australia.
The appeal will be heard in Canberra on 30 October.
The written submission on behalf of the Appellant by Ron Merkel QC was not available when I wrote the ASR piece about a month ago.
By the by, I understand that the government's costs in fighting this case through its long journey to the steps of the High Court are well north of $130000, not $30000 as mentioned in the article.
This blog takes an interest in issues associated with Freedom of Information (FOI) and privacy legislation in Australia. Information contained on this site is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Follow Peter Timmins on Twitter: @foiguru Follow the open government cause through the Australian Open Government Partnership Network. www.opengovernment.org.au and @opengovau
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