Authority To Issue Summons

Dear Mike,

Thank you for your e-mail below in which you asked for the following information:

Could you please tell me which bodies in the United Kingdom are
authorised to issue summonses?

I have assessed this and as you are not asking for recorded information, I believe this would be best dealt with as official correspondence.

As such, I have copied our general queries team who will ensure a response to your question.

Best Wishes
Kate

Kate Balding|Business Coordinator

Data Access & Compliance Unit
Ministry of Justice|6th Floor|Post Point 6.23
102 Petty France|London|SW1H 9AJ

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Dear Mr Robinson,

Firstly please accept my apologies that you have not received a response from our general queries team. I have copied them into this e-mail and they will be able to provide you with an update on the progress of your enquiry.

Should you wish to contact them I can confirm that their e-mail address is [email address].

Unfortunately, you are not entitled to an internal review as your request was not originally dealt with under the FOI Act. It may be helpful if I explain that the Freedom of Information Act (2000) gives individuals and organisations the right of access to all types of recorded information held, at the time the request is received, by public authorities such as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). Section 84 of the Act states that in order for a request for information to be handled as a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, it must be for recorded information. For example, a Freedom of Information request would be for a copy of an policy.

On occasion, the Data Access and Compliance Unit receives requests for information that do not ask for a copy of recorded information, but ask more general questions about, for example, policies, opinions or decisions. In these instances, another business unit would be best placed to handle your enquiry. As your request is a query relating to departmental policy (i.e. a list of bodies authorised to issue summonses) and requires a general response by the appropriate area of the business it was passed to the general queries team to take forward as official correspondence.

Again, apologies for the delay - if you have any questions about Freedom of Information please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best Wishes
Kate

Kate Balding|Business Coordinator

Data Access & Compliance Unit
Ministry of Justice|10th Floor|Post Point 10.34
102 Petty France|London|SW1H 9AJ

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Dear Mr Robinson,

I understand you made the following request under the Freedom of Information Act. However, you have been informed that your request does not fall under that act. You have asked:

Could you please tell me which bodies in the United Kingdom are authorised to issue summonses?

I do not know what specific summonses you are referring to but what I can confirm on behalf of HMCTS is that magistrates' courts have the power to issue summonses for criminal offences that have been committed.

Complaints, Correspondence and Litigation Team 1st Floor - 1.10
102 Petty France
London SW1H 9AJ

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