Keith Kennaugh v Information Commissioner & Anor

Facts

The appellant, Mr Kennaugh, brought three sets of proceedings in the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber). The first was an application under section 166 of the Data Protection Act 2018. The second and third were appeals under section 57 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. He objected to "mindless paperwork" and started the first two cases by email rather than on the standard GRC3 and GRC1 forms. On 20 January 2025 Registrar Bamawo allowed those cases to proceed but directed that any future applications be made on the required forms. On 27 January 2025 District Judge Moan refused to vary those directions, although she misunderstood them as requiring the cases to be re-submitted. Later decisions of District Judge Moan and of Judge O'Connor, the Chamber President, confirmed that the two cases could proceed and that the direction for future cases stood. In the third case the appellant did not complete the GRC1 form and would not give a postal address. On 29 September 2025 Judge Armstrong-Holmes excused him from completing the form. The judge did, however, direct him to provide a residential address within the United Kingdom, failing which his appeal would automatically be struck out under rule 8(1) of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (General Regulatory Chamber) Rules 2009. The Upper Tribunal joined the three appeals and granted permission. The First-tier Tribunal was later joined as a respondent.