March 21, 2023
he British Home Office recently won a battle to suppress a report from its own expert adviser who had recommended decriminalizing the possession of drugs, including cannabis.
What Happened: A tribunal concluded that a document by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs should be kept secret, a decision that followed a three-year freedom of information battle to force the government to release the report, the only one in the council’s history not to be published.
Why All The Secrecy? The Home Office, which is responsible for immigration, security, and law and order, argued that because policies discussed in the paper were under consideration, it was not compelled by freedom of information laws to make it public.
