Your RTI was ignored or refused? The first appeal

You filed an RTI, waited, and either heard nothing or got a reply that answered nothing — a "not available", a partial dodge, or plain silence past the deadline. That's frustrating, but it's not where the road ends. The RTI system has appeals built in precisely because officers sometimes stall, and using them is straightforward.

When you can appeal

You can file a first appeal if:

• The deadline (generally 30 days) passed with no reply, or
• The information was refused and you think wrongly, or
• The answer was incomplete, misleading, or evasive.

You don't need a fresh reason — being fobbed off is reason enough.

How the first appeal works

1. Address it to the First Appellate Authority — an officer senior to the Public Information Officer in the same body. Their details usually come with the reply, or you can ask.
2. File within the time limit (commonly 30 days from the reply or the missed deadline).
3. State it plainly — attach your original RTI and the reply (or note there was none), and say clearly what wasn't answered and what you still want.
4. Keep proof and note the date.

If that fails too

If the first appeal doesn't fix it, the next step is a second appeal to the Information Commission (central or state, depending on the office). Commissions can order the information released and even penalise officers who withheld it without cause — which is often what finally shakes it loose.

Tell Miss Lucy Lite what your RTI asked and how they responded, and she'll help you frame the appeal.