30 August 2018
Jan MacPherson
[FYI request #8470 email]
Dear Ms MacPherson
Ref: 0052554
Official Information Act Request
Thank you for your request of 9 August 2018 asking for the following information under
the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
We wish to enquire as to the cost of ACC utilising legal firms (such as
Medico Law) to "fight" their review applications through the disputes
process.
We would like an cost per review and also the total paid to said legal firms
by ACC for the review process since 2015
Our response
The costs paid by ACC for external legal representation at reviews is held on individual
client files. In order to provide a response to your request, ACC would need to search
through thousands of files that were subject to a review since 2015 to determine if an
external legal representative was engaged and the associated costs.
We must decline your request under section 18(f) of the Act, as the information cannot
be made available without substantial collation or research. We have considered
asking you to refine your request, or possibly extending the time limit for responding.
However, we have determined that the resources required to obtain the information
would significantly impact the everyday operations of ACC, and neither option would
likely enable the request to be granted.
Queries If you have any questions or concerns about the information provided, ACC will be
happy to work with you to resolve these. Please address any concerns by emailing
[email address].
You also have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or free phone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Government Engagement and Support