The Law of Freedom of Information: First Cumulative Supplement

Merger control in the United Kingdom has recently entered a new phase in its development. The advent of the relevant aspects of the Enterprise Act 2002 has been welcomed as a 'depoliticisation' of the regime. The role of the Secretary of State has been all but excised, and the substantive criteria against which mergers are assessed have been revised to offer formally a competition-based standard. Together with guidance published subsequently, the reforms alsoprescribe a range of new procedural guarantees for those parties affected under the regime. In addition, the EC merger control regime and in particular the nature of its relationship with the competent authorities of the Member States has been significantly revised.It is against this backdrop that the authors - leading experts with first rate regulatory, practical and academic experience - offer a comprehensive statement of the law, architecture, and procedure of merger control in the United Kingdom; explain the factors pertinent to the economic appraisal of mergers in a manner accessible to a legal audience; and give invaluable practical guidance on managing the transactional process and regulatory risk.This cumulative supplement to The Law of Freedom of Information covers all key developments in the subject up to June 2005. It is an essential purchase for all who already own the main work, and maintains its currency. The supplement updates the main work paragraph by paragraph, following the same structure as the main work. It includes full analysis of the guidance issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs in October 2004 and the current awareness guidance and policy development documents issued by the Information Commissioner. The authors also examine the first decisions of the Commissioner and the decisions of the Ombudsman including her ruling on the disclosure of the advice given by theAttorney General on the legality of the war with Iraq. In addition, the supplement covers recent decisions from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland, as well as UK decisions on data protection and confidentiality.The comprehensive, analytical approach of the main work provides the complete reference volume for practitioners advising on the relevant legislation: those working within or advising the myriad public bodies upon which the Freedom of Information Act 2000 imposes new duties regarding the disclosure and handling of information; those advising clients with a personal, professional or commercial interest in obtaining information from those newly obliged to provide it; and those in the businesscommunity for whom the Act raises important concerns about the potential accessibility of commercially sensitive informationThe supplement and the main work are also available as a pack (ISBN 0199288054: GBP180.00).