Law Commons^™

The Sanctions Provisions Of The Freedom Of Information Act, Robert Vaughn

Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals

INTRODUCTION: The sanctions provision of the Freedom of Information Act amendments (Amendments)' provides a procedure whereby agency personnel who have withheld requested information may be subject to disciplinary action if a court, in ordering production of the documents and assessing against the United States reasonable attorneys' fees and other litigation costs, also issues a finding that a question of fact exists as to whether agency personnel acted arbitrarily or capriciously. Although the provision is relatively brief, it is potentially the most important amendment to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and one of the most important congressional enactments in recent …