Campaign for Clean Air in London
Our legal team have been working on behalf of Campaign for Clean Air in London (CCAL) to demand the release of information on London's air quality levels from the Government.
Air quality campaigner Simon Birkett asked the Department for Environment Food and Rural affairs (DEFRA) for copies of communications between it and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson about air quality levels in London.
The Government refused to give him the information so Simon appealed to the Information Commissioner, who found in his favour.
The case was then appealed by the Government to the Information Tribunal and then to the Upper Tribunal.
The Government has to make the information available unless it has specific reasons. In this case the Government changed its reasons for withholding the information several times after the original request was made.
The Court of Appeal will now consider whether the approach being taken by DEFRA is a lawful one, and the case will be heard in November or December 2011.
