Agency Resource 8
Freedom of Information
September 2011
Review of decisions made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
This guidance material sets out the merit review framework for access refusal and access grant 
decisions made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). You should refer to the FOI 
Guidelines: Part 3 (Processing requests for access), Part 9 (Internal agency review of decisions) and 
Part 10 (Review by the Information Commissioner) for further details.
Internal review
Original decision
  Access refusal
  Access grant
Information
Commissionerreview 
AdministrativeAppeals
(ICreview)
Tribunal (AAT)
Key principles
Internal review or IC review
Original decision
A person can apply for either internal review or 
An access refusal decision is a decision: 
ICreviewofanagency’saccessrefusaloraccess
grantdecision,orICreviewofaminister’saccess
• to refuse, defer or not actually give access 
refusal or access grant decision. There is no fee 
ortogiveaccesstoaqualifiedperson
orchargeapplyingtoeitherinternalorICreview.
(s 53A(a)–(d)(f))
TheInformationCommissionerconsidersthat
• regarding charges (s 53A(e))
itisusuallybetterforapersontoseekinternal
• to refuse to amend or annotate a personal 
reviewbeforeapplyingforICreview,sothat
record (s 53A(g) and (h)).
the agency can take a fresh look at its original 
decision.
The person who made the FOI request (the FOI 
applicant) may apply for review of an access 
Internal review
refusal decision (s 54(2)).
Anapplicationforinternalreviewmustbein
writing(whichincludesanemailorfax),and
An access grant decision is a decision to grant 
mustbemadewithin30calendardaysafter 
access to a document where there is a 
thepersonwasnotifiedofanagency’sdecision.
requirement to consult with a State under 
Internal review is not available if the decision 
s 26A, Norfolk Island under s 26AA, a person 
was made by a minister or personally by the 
ororganisationunders27,oranindividualor
principalofficerofanagency.Inbothsituations,
legalpersonalrepresentativeofadeceased
apersoncanapplydirectlyforICreview.If
personunders27A.Anaffectedthirdparty
dissatisfiedwithaninternalreviewdecision,
(definedins53C)mayapplyforreview
thepersoncanthenapplyforICreviewofthat
of an access grant decision (s 54A(2)). 
decision.

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IC review
Administrative Appeals Tribunal
TheInformationCommissionercanreview:
A person can apply to the AAT for review of:
• an‘accessrefusaldecision’(s54L(2)(a))
• theInformationCommissioner’sdecisionto
• an‘accessgrantdecision’(s54M(2)(a))
affirm,varyorsetasideadecisionafterthe
• arefusaltoextendtheperiodforapplying
InformationCommissionerhasundertakena
forinternalreviewunders54B(s54L(2)(c))
review(s57A(1)(a))
• an agency internal review decision made
• theagency’sorminister’sdecisionwhere
unders54C(ss54L(2)(b)and54M(2)(b)).
theInformationCommissionerhasdecided
not to undertake a review on the basis that
TheInformationCommissionermayalsoreview
it is desirable that the AAT undertakes the
decisions that are deemed to have been made 
review(s57A(1)(b))
by an agency or minister where the statutory 
timeframewasnotmet.Thismayhappenat
• theInformationCommissioner’sdeclaration
firstinstance(followingarequestforaccess
ofthepersonasavexatiousapplicant(s89N).
toinformation(s15AC)orforamendment
to a personal record (s 51DA)), or following 
A person cannot apply to the AAT for review of 
anapplicationforinternalreview(wherethe
theInformationCommissioner’sdecisionnotto
originaldecisionistakentohavebeenaffirmed
undertakeorcontinueanICreview.
under s 54D).
AnapplicationtotheAATmustbemadewithin
AnapplicationforICreviewmustbemade 
28daysafterthedayonwhichthepersonis
within60daysofnoticebeinggivenofan
giventheInformationCommissioner’sdecision
access refusal decision (s 54S(1)), or 30 days 
(s 29(2) of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal 
ofnoticebeinggivenofanaccessgrant
Act 1975).
decision (s 54S(2)). A person may apply to the 
InformationCommissionerforanextension
oftimeformakinganICreviewapplication
Forfurtherinformation
(s 54T(1)).
telephone: 1300 363 992
email: xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
write:GPOBox5218,SydneyNSW2001
or visit our website at www.oaic.gov.au
Agency resource 8: Review of decisions made under the FOI Act
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