Freedom of Information Act / Attorney's Fees for Substantially Prevailing Party
Public Citizen has filed an amicus brief on behalf of itself, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Judicial Watch, and the National Security Archive, arguing that the Supreme Court should hear this case and allow people to get attorney's fees if they sue and successfully receive documents they have requested from the government under FOIA. After the Department of Justice initially waived filing a brief in opposition, on March 26, the Supreme Court called for a response from the Department of Justice regarding this petition.
The question presented is:
Does the holding in Buckhannon Board & Home Care, Inc. v. West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources, 534 U.S. 598 (2001), that the term "prevailing party" requires a judicially sanctioned change in the relationship of the parties in order to be eligible for an award of attorney's fees and costs in two civil rights statutes extend to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552(a)(4)(E), which provides that a plaintiff who "substantially prevails" is eligible for fees?
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