CONTRACTING OUT OF FOIA AND THE DPA?

Roy Greenslade has posted a very interesting piece this afternoon on his blog on the Guardian website about a purported instance of “contracting out” of FOIA and DPA rights. According to his piece, Cheshire West and Chester Council has signed a compromise agreement with a former employee in which he or she contracts not to make requests to the Council under FOIA or the DPA (the EIR is not mentioned). The Council is confident that these provisions are effective. The ICO takes the opposite view – I suspect it will not be alone in doing so. Click here to read the piece.