Disclosure Team
Ministry of Justice
Post point 5.22,
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
xxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Marc Horn
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
22nd September 2023
Dear Marc Horn
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request – 230903004
Thank you for your request dated 3rd September 2023 in which you asked for the
following information from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ):
Can you please provide all information you hold relating to Magistrates Courts
Act 1980 Part 2 - Civil Jurisdiction:
1 - Once a summons is authorised does that generate a case number
against which the details of the authorising officer are recorded?, and
2 - If no case number is generated how does one know whether there is
a matter before the court?
3 - Is a summons without a case number a lawful summons?
Your request has been handled under the FOIA.
The MoJ does not hold any information in the scope of your request. This is because
Part II of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 makes no reference to case numbers.
The FOIA does not oblige a public authority to create information to answer a
request if the requested information is not held. The duty is only to provide the
recorded information held. As previously advised, I will not be answering your
requests for free legal advice outside the requirements of FOIA.
Appeal Rights
If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to request an internal
review by responding in writing to one of the addresses below within two months of
the date of this response.
xxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Disclosure and Library Team, Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, Post point
5.22, London, SW1H 9AJ
You do have the right to ask the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to
investigate any aspect of your complaint. However, please note that the ICO is likely
to expect internal complaints procedures to have been exhausted before beginning
their investigation.
Yours sincerely
Siân E. Jones LL.B.
Legal Operations
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