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Current investigations

Current investigations

This dashboard below shows the Commissioner’s live caseload. It is updated daily. 

The dashboard displays all cases, their unique reference, the public authority involved, the subject of the request under investigation and their current status in our investigative process. Case Status definitions can be found at the foot of this page. 

Further details on how we investigate cases can be found in our Investigations Handbook

We are a small team, but we deal with cases as quickly as we can. Investigations can vary in subject matter and complexity - some may therefore be handled more quickly than others.

We keep applicants and authorities up-to-date during each investigation. Once a case is closed (either settled or with a decision notice issued), it will no longer appear on the list.

The Commissioner publishes decisions around a week after issue in our decisions database.

Project Blue

In late 2023, the Commissioner launched Project Blue, a new case management approach designed to tackle a 384 case backlog that had built up in the aftermath of the pandemic. This involved colour coding cases and taking a different approach to investigations.

  • All cases that were received prior to 1 January 2024 and being actively investigated on that date were coded Purple.
  • All cases received after 1 January 2024 were coded Green.

The backlogged cases (received but not investigated at 1 January 2024) are Blue cases. These are split into two categories:  

  • Light Blue (under investigation)
  • Navy Blue (not yet under investigation)

The Commissioner took this approach to ensure that new cases could be progressed while information was still live, current and of value to the requester, while also enabling our older backlog cases to be progressed. This approach was taken to preserve the integrity of, and confidence in, the FOI appeal system.

The project is running successfully, with 51% of the backlog cases addressed in the first year. This reporting year has also seen Green cases closed in an average of 103 days, against a target of 120 days.

We are addressing the outstanding blue cases in different ways, depending on the circumstances of the case. Our aim is to resolve cases as quickly as possible, for as many people as possible.

Whilst this approach has been shown to be successful, the Commissioner acknowledges the frustrations of those with cases still to be considered. The Commissioner is mindful that a small number of applicants will see their cases delayed because of this change and thanks them for their patience as we continue to clear the backlog and restore our performance.

Case Status: What does this mean?

Below is a list of our 'case status' terminology with explanations.

Case Status

New Case - means new application received. Case opened, but validation checks not started.

Validation - the application is being checked to determine if we can investigate.

Case awaiting allocation - case awaiting allocation to an investigating officer.

Investigation  - case allocated to an investigating officer and investigation ongoing.  Includes time spent drafting the decision.

Approval - there are two stages within our approval process:
 

  • Decision submitted for first level approval - The investigator has submitted the draft decision to their team leader for first level approval. 
  • Decision submitted for second level approval - The team leader has submitted the draft decision to the Commissioner or Head of Enforcement for final approval.

Alternative formats

We also publish a list of our current investigations in PDF and CSV format. The list is updated early in each month.

Download list of investigations as at 31 August 2025  - .pdf format

Download list of investigations as at 31 August 2025 - .csv format

The list sets out the stage the case is at: including whether it's newly received; under investigation; or whether a decision has been drafted and is waiting for approval. You will find an explanation of each case status below. 

You can search the above documents using the search tool in your internet browser or PDF reader - for example you may want to check the details of a specific case, look for investigations relating to a particular topic/keyword, or see all cases involving a particular public authority.