Introduction to freedom of Information Act

In the wake of 9/11, the UK Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 was rushed through Parliament, giving the government sweeping powers to imprison foreign nationals without charge. Even though the House of Lords has now ruled this practice to be both discriminatory and disproportionate, we still have a system of control orders which effectively allow internment by means of 24 h house arrest. Identity cards are on the way, and we will soon see biometric chips appearing in passports. In this context, the advent of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) is a welcome counterweight to a trend which seems increasingly to be tipping the scales in favour of the state.