Gov deleted files during ‘live’ freedom of information battle

The government deleted electronic copies of a document while a battle over whether it should be released to the public was still ongoing, it has emerged.

The unusual case has come to light alongside a strong warning from Jersey’s information watchdog that persistent delays, inadequate searches and wrongly applied exemptions risk leaving Islanders wondering whether public authorities are struggling to provide information – or simply don’t want to disclose it.

The incident is among a series of cases highlighted in the Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner’s newly published annual report on freedom of information activity during 2025.

It involved a request for a copy of the Financial Investigation manual produced by the Economic Crimes and Confiscation Unit.

The Department for the Economy refused to release the document, initially relying on two exemptions under the Freedom of Information Law and later adding a third.

Information Commissioner Paul Vane ultimately agreed that the information could be withheld.

However, his report reveals that during the process “the SPA deleted electronic copies of the withheld information after the appeal was submitted, leaving only the master copy with the Law Officers’ Department”.

The case, it adds, highlighted that “information subject to a live appeal must not be destroyed and must be provided without delay”.