After the Court of Appeal upheld the controversial ‘Dransfield’ vexatious precedent in Freedom of Information law, Alan Dransfield applied for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. This was his final opportunity to challenge the misuse of Section 14(1) of the FOIA — a precedent now used to silence journalists, whistleblowers, and campaigners across the UK.
The Supreme Court Refusal
The Supreme Court refused Mr Dransfield’s appeal in a one-page letter that stated the case raised “no arguable point of law.” While three judges were listed on the ruling, it bore no judicial signature or seal and was issued without an oral hearing.
Given that the Dransfield precedent has become the cornerstone of FOIA Section 14(1) case law, this refusal raises serious concerns about judicial accountability and transparency at the highest level of the UK judiciary.
Key Concerns
– The refusal was unsigned and unsealed — a deviation from standard judicial process.
– The court did not permit an oral hearing, despite the national importance of the legal issue.
– The refusal claimed the case raised ‘no arguable point of law’ — despite its status as binding precedent.
– Lady Justice Arden, who ruled against Mr Dransfield in the Court of Appeal and compared him to ‘Matilda,’ was later promoted to the Supreme Court — raising concerns of judicial self-protection.
Dransfield’s Statement
“The UK Supreme Court dismissed my appeal without a hearing, without a signature, and without a seal. They claimed my case raised no arguable legal point, yet that same case is used to deny hundreds of requests across Britain. What’s more, one of the judges who ruled against me — Lady Justice Arden — was soon promoted to that very court. This wasn’t justice. This was an institutional lock-out to protect a bad precedent.”
— Alan M. Dransfield
This marks the end of the formal legal road — but not the end of the fight. The Dransfield precedent must be reexamined, and the public must be informed how one safety-based FOI request became a tool to bury truth nationwide.
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