Media update -last for 2005!

National news


Independent - Cherie Booth QC earned £210,000 from BCCI case
"Cherie Booth QC has been paid more than £236,000 in public money for her work as a barrister since Labour came to power in 1997. The figures, released under a Freedom of Information request, show that she also received £210,000 in legal fees for representing the staff of the collapsed Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) between 1997 and 1999."

Local news

Kent Messenger- New light shed on head teacher's shock exit
"Documents released by Kent County Council to the Kent Messenger under the Freedom of Act shed more light on the background to her departure and reveal that staff disquiet stretched back more than a year.The documents show that union representatives first raised concerns about the school’s management and leadership in February 2004. Partially-released minutes of a meeting attended by 50 members of staff indicate both teachers and support staff were unhappy about declining school discipline, low morale, high staff turnover, poor communication and a failure to consult over changes such as a new school uniform."

Norwich Evening News - We're not getting in party spirit
"When the Evening News launched an investigation to find out how much councils stumped up for Christmas parties we expected a catalogue of expensive turkeys and tinsel. But a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to discover if taxpayers were footing the bill for revelling civil servants revealed just the opposite - some are not even having a festive party at all."

Nigeria

This Day - Senate Defers Passage of FOI Bill
"The Senate yesterday deferred the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill till January, when the upper legislative body will resume plenary session, to enable its Committee on Information perform a concise review of the bill and reconcile areas of disagreement."