Section 8 Classifier — which exemption applies?

Paste the information your RTI asks for (or the information a PIO is considering withholding), and this free classifier returns a ranked list of which §8(1) sub-clause is most likely to attach. Covers all ten §8(1) sub-clauses plus §9 (copyright), §11 (third-party procedure), and §24 (exempt organisations). Pure heuristic — no login, no data leaves your browser.

• PIOs drafting a reasoned §7(8)(i) rejection — use as a first-pass check on which sub-clause to cite
• RTI applicants anticipating a rejection and preparing an appeal
• FAAs auditing a PIO's sub-clause citation during First Appeal
• Law students and researchers building intuition for which exemption governs which fact pattern

• Heuristic only — keyword-matching, not legal analysis. A real RTI always turns on specific facts and public-authority records.
• Top result ≠ valid refusal — the classifier indicates the clause a PIO might invoke, not whether it is defensible on appeal.
• Post-DPDP 2025 — §8(1)(j) detection assumes the amended framework effective 14 November 2025.
• Not exhaustive — some niche sub-clauses and procedural provisions (§8(2), §8(3), §10) are context-dependent and not directly classified.

1. Top-ranked clause — treat as the most likely PIO response. Build your case-law citation around this clause before filing or replying.
2. Next 1-2 clauses — note these as fallback grounds the PIO may cite. Your appeal should pre-empt these too.
3. No hit — strong signal the RTI is routinely disclosable. If the PIO rejects anyway, treat it as a reasoned-order violation under §7(8)(i).

• RTI Timeline Calculator
• RTI Application Generator
• First Appeal Builder
• PIO Reply Checker
• RTI Wiki AI — free chat

• Grounds for RTI Rejection — decision tree
• §8(1)(j) framework — post-DPDP 2025
• PIO RTI Reply Guide
• Case-law search — 210+ rulings

Last reviewed: 22 April 2026.