Time for application to Ombudsman

(1) Where, (a) an application for review of a decision has been made in accordance with section 36 of this Act; and (b) the application for review is refused or the applicant has not been informed of the result of the review within 14 days after the day on which he made that application, the applicant may apply to the Ombudsman for review of the decision refusing to grant access to a document, within 21 days of the date on which he is notified of the decision refusing the review or within 21 days after the expiry of the period of 14 days mentioned in subsection (1) (b) of this section. (2) Where, (a) a request has been made to a Ministry or prescribed authority in accordance with section 16 of this Act; (b) a period of 14 days has elapsed since the day on which the request was received by or on behalf of the Ministry or prescribed authority; and (c) notice of a decision on the request has not been received by the applicant, the principal officer shall, for the purpose of enabling an application to be made to the Ombudsman under section 35 of this Act, be deemed to have made on the last day of that period, a decision refusing to grant access to the document, and the applicant may apply to the Ombudsman to grant access to 28 the document in question within 21 days of the expiry of the said period of 14 days. (3) Before dealing further with an application made by virtue of this section, the Ombudsman may, on the application of the Ministry or prescribed authority concerned, allow further time to the Ministry or prescribed authority to deal with the request. (4) Notwithstanding the period of limitation mentioned in this section, the Ombudsman may, in his discretion, grant further time to the applicant if he is of the opinion that there has been no unreasonable delay in making the application.