Commissioner's Biography
Profile - Kevin Dunion, OBE , MA , MSc, FRSA
Kevin Dunion was appointed as the first Scottish Information Commissioner in February 2003. His appointment by HM The Queen, on the nomination of the Scottish Parliament, ran for five years. In February 2008, Kevin was reappointed for a second, and final term, for four years until 2012. He employs 23 staff in his offices in St Andrews, Fife, to assist him in enforcing and promoting the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Since the Act came fully into force on 1 January 2005, Kevin has taken over 800 formal decisions in respect of appeals. Some of these decisions have been high profile such as requiring the disclosure of MSPs' expenses claims, the publication of surgeons' mortality rates (the first such comprehensive disclosure anywhere in the world), and the release of an entire PFI contract for the building and maintenance of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Kevin also champions the spirit and principle of freedom of information, and is frequently asked to speak and to write on the Scottish experience. As well as addressing Scottish audiences he is keen to engage with international developments, and over the past few years he has been pleased to host visits by the Chief Commissioner for India, the Slovenian Information Commissioner and the Assistant Information Commissioner of Canada. He advised on the Malawi Access to Information Bill and contributed as an international consultant to the Carter Center's programme on access to information in Jamaica. Kevin addressed the 5th International Conference for Information Commissioners in New Zealand, in November 2007 and the 2nd International Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data Conference in Mexico City, in November 2008. In 2009, he is contributing to the development of an international Implementation Assessment Tool for the performance and practice of FOI.
Kevin is Co-Director of the Centre for Freedom of Information, a joint initiative with the University of Dundee, which was launched in January 2009.
Before becoming the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin was for many years a prominent campaigner for freedom of information. He established two research projects with funding from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust into the performance of public bodies in Scotland with regards to providing access to information, employed Scotland's only full time Freedom of Information campaigner and gave evidence to the Justice Committee scrutinising the passage of the Bill through the Scottish Parliament.
"I strongly believe that the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation in Scotland has been a success story. Public awareness of the new rights is high, authorities are responding to thousands of requests and information is being put into the public domain which would never otherwise be released."
Background
Kevin was born in December 1955 in Bridge of Allan, and brought up in Alloa and Glenrothes. He was educated at the University of St Andrews (MA (Hons) Modern History 1978) and at the University of Edinburgh (MSc (Dist) African Studies 1991).
Following spells in the civil service and university administration, Kevin joined Oxfam as Campaigns Manager and then took up the post of Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland. From 1996 to 2000 he also served as Chairman of Friends of the Earth International, heading delegations to the United Nations and European Commission. It was for this role that he was awarded an OBE in 2000.
In November 2008 Kevin was elected Rector of St Andrews University for a term of three years. The Role of Rector involves chairing the University Court and representing the interests of the students.