16.1—General provisions.
(a)
This subpart contains the rules that the Department of Justice follows in processing requests for records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552. These rules should be read together with the FOIA, which provides additional information about access to records maintained by the Department. Requests made by individuals for records about themselves under the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, which are processed under subpart D of this part, are processed under this subpart also. Information routinely provided to the public as part of a regular Department activity (for example, press releases issued by the Office of Public Affairs) may be provided to the public without following this subpart. As a matter of policy, the Department makes discretionary disclosures of records or information exempt from disclosure under the FOIA whenever disclosure would not foreseeably harm an interest protected by a FOIA exemption, but this policy does not create any right enforceable in court.
(b)
As used in this subpart, component means each separate bureau, office, board, division, commission, service, or administration of the Department of Justice.