Chohan and Secretary, Department of Home Affairs (Freedom of information)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered a request made by Mr Chohan for access to documents received by the Department of Home Affairs from the United States and United Kingdom governments concerning him. The applicant sought these documents to support a claim he had filed in the United Kingdom. The Department had initially refused full access, citing exemptions under sections 33, 37, and 47F of the *Freedom of Information Act 1982* (Cth).

The Tribunal was required to determine whether the documents were conditionally exempt under section 47F of the FOI Act, which relates to the protection of personal privacy. It also had to consider whether disclosure of the documents would be contrary to the public interest, and whether a "practical refusal" reason existed under section 24AA of the Act, meaning the work involved in processing the request would substantially and unreasonably divert the agency's resources. The applicant did not press for access to personal information, but argued for transparency regarding the information exchanged between governments.

The Tribunal found that reasonable searches had been undertaken and that a practical refusal reason existed under section 24AA of the FOI Act, as the work involved in processing the request would substantially and unreasonably divert the agency's resources. Furthermore, the Tribunal was satisfied that disclosure of personal information would be unreasonable and that the public interest weighed against disclosure. The Tribunal also upheld exemptions under section 22 (which was not detailed in the provided text but is referenced in the decision) and section 47F of the FOI Act.

Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the Department's decision to refuse access to the requested documents.