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| E-mail row unit 'broke data law' | E-mail row unit 'broke data law' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A university unit involved in a row over stolen e-mails on climate research breached rules by withholding data, the Information Commissioner's Office says. | |
| Officials said messages leaked in November showed that requests under the Freedom of Information Act were "not dealt with as they should have been". | Officials said messages leaked in November showed that requests under the Freedom of Information Act were "not dealt with as they should have been". |
| But too much time has passed for action against the University of East Anglia. | But too much time has passed for action against the University of East Anglia. |
| Part of an independent inquiry into the case will consider the way requests by climate change sceptics were handled. | Part of an independent inquiry into the case will consider the way requests by climate change sceptics were handled. |
| 'Legal obligations' | 'Legal obligations' |
| The leaked files include documents, detailed data and private e-mails exchanged between leading climate scientists. | The leaked files include documents, detailed data and private e-mails exchanged between leading climate scientists. |
| But academics deny claims the material showed science had been manipulated. | But academics deny claims the material showed science had been manipulated. |
| Professor Phil Jones, who has stood down as director of the Climatic Research Unit while the review takes place, has said he stands by his data and insisted that the emails had been taken "completely out of context". | Professor Phil Jones, who has stood down as director of the Climatic Research Unit while the review takes place, has said he stands by his data and insisted that the emails had been taken "completely out of context". |
| In a statement, Deputy Information Commissioner Graham Smith said it was an offence under section 77 of the Freedom of Information act "to prevent intentionally the disclosure of requested information". | In a statement, Deputy Information Commissioner Graham Smith said it was an offence under section 77 of the Freedom of Information act "to prevent intentionally the disclosure of requested information". |
| He said the university could not be prosecuted over the requests, made by a climate change sceptic in the 2007-2008 period, as the case is more than six months old and so time-barred under existing legislation. | |
| He said the ICO was "gathering evidence from this and other time-barred cases to support the case for a change in the law". | He said the ICO was "gathering evidence from this and other time-barred cases to support the case for a change in the law". |
| He added: "We will be advising the university about the importance of effective records management and their legal obligations in respect of future requests for information." | He added: "We will be advising the university about the importance of effective records management and their legal obligations in respect of future requests for information." |
| Norfolk Police have launched an inquiry into the case. | Norfolk Police have launched an inquiry into the case. |
| Meanwhile, former civil servant Sir Muir Russell is heading an independent review to examine whether there is evidence that data was manipulated or suppressed in a way which was "at odds with acceptable scientific practice". | |
| The UEA said it would also explore how freedom of information requests had been acted on. | The UEA said it would also explore how freedom of information requests had been acted on. |