Freedom of Information Act 2000FOIAUK · 2000 c. 36
Digiphile
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (c. 36) – Section 52 – Enforcement notices.

Sections

Section 52Enforcement notices.

(1) If the [F1Commission] is satisfied that a public authority has failed to comply with any of the requirements of Part I, the [F1Commission] may serve the authority with a notice (in this Act referred to as “an enforcement notice”) requiring the authority to take, within such time as may be specified in the notice, such steps as may be so specified for complying with those requirements.
(2) An enforcement notice must contain—
  • (a)
    a statement of the requirement or requirements of Part I with which the [F2Commission] is satisfied that the public authority has failed to comply and [F3the] reasons for reaching that conclusion, and
  • (b)
    particulars of the right of appeal conferred by section 57.
(3) An enforcement notice must not require any of the provisions of the notice to be complied with before the end of the period within which an appeal can be brought against the notice and, if such an appeal is brought, the notice need not be complied with pending the determination or withdrawal of the appeal.
(4) The [F4Commission] may cancel an enforcement notice by written notice to the authority on which it was served.
(5) This section has effect subject to section 53.

Amended text

This Section is shown as amended by S.I. 2026/386 (see the annotations below), as incorporated in the text in force on 7 October 2026 as published on legislation.gov.uk.

Annotations

Textual Amendments

  1. F1 Word in s. 52(1) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(14)(a); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  2. F2 Word in s. 52(2)(a) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(14)(b)(i); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  3. F3 Word in s. 52(2)(a) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(14)(b)(ii); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)
  4. F4 Word in s. 52(4) substituted (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 2 para. 12(14)(c); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

  1. C1 S. 52 applied (with modifications) (31.12.2009) by The INSPIRE Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3157), reg. 11 (as amended (30.9.2026) by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/386), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(2); S.I. 2026/1015, reg. 2(c))
  2. C2 S. 52 applied (with modifications) (18.7.2015) by The Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1415), regs. 1, 18 (with regs. 5, 11(4))
  3. C3 S. 52 excluded (18.7.2015) by The Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1415), regs. 1, 22(7) (with regs. 5, 11(4))

Commencement Information

  1. I1 S. 52 wholly in force at 1.1.2005; s. 52 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 87(3); s. 52 in force for certain purposes at 30.11.2002 by S.I. 2002/2812, art. 2(e), s. 52 in force for certain further purposes at 1.1.2005 by S.I. 2004/1909, art. 2 and otherwise in force at 1.1.2005 by S.I. 2004/3122, art. 2

https://foia.digiphile.law/article/article-52.html

Text as at 7 October 2026.

This is an unofficial convenience version of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It is presented “as is” without guarantee of accuracy, completeness or reliability. See the source text for the official version. This site was last updated in October 2026.

Type to search the full text.