FOI/202600518060 · FOI · partially withheld
Documentation regarding the former Chief Executive of the Scottish National Party: FOI release
Information requested
Could you supply all documentation held by the Scottish Government, including correspondence sent and received (including internal), minutes/notes from meetings, briefings and analysis, about Peter Murrell's court case, between February 1 2026 and the date of this FOI?
Response
I have enclosed some of the information that you have requested. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to that information. The reason why this exemption applies is explained below.
Please note that I have identified a small amount of information relating to the handling of similar requests made under FOISA, and to summaries of recent media activity, which I have deemed outwith the scope of your request; however if you do not agree with this interpretation, please contact us.
Section 38(1)(b) (personal data of a third party)
Section 38(1)(b) applies to some of the information because it is personal data of a third party, including the names of Scottish Government officials below the level of Senior Civil Servant, and personal email addresses. Disclosing this would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Detected exemption language
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA applies to that information. The reason why this exemption applies is explained below. Section 38(1)(b) (personal data of a third party) Section 38(1)(b) applies to some of the information because it is personal data of a third party, including the names of Scottish Government officials below the level of Senior Civil Servant, and personal email addresses. Disclosing this would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.