[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 6, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 6CFR5.48]

[Page 29-30]
 
                       TITLE 6--HOMELAND SECURITY
 
   CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
 
PART 5_DISCLOSURE OF RECORDS AND INFORMATION--Table of Contents
 
            Subpart C_Disclosure of Information in Litigation
 
Sec.  5.48  Considerations in determining whether the Department will 

comply with a demand or request

    (a) In deciding whether to comply with a demand or request, 
Department officials and attorneys shall consider, among any other 
pertinent considerations:
    (1) Whether such compliance would be unduly burdensome or otherwise 
inappropriate under the applicable rules of discovery or the rules of 
procedure governing the case or matter in which the demand arose;
    (2) Whether compliance is appropriate under the relevant substantive 
law concerning privilege or disclosure of information;
    (3) The public interest;
    (4) The need to conserve the time of Department employees for the 
conduct of official business;
    (5) The need to avoid spending the time and money of the United 
States for private purposes;
    (6) The need to maintain impartiality between private litigants in 
cases where a substantial government interest is not implicated;
    (7) Whether compliance would have an adverse effect on performance 
by the Department of its mission and duties; and
    (8) The need to avoid involving the Department in controversial 
issues not related to its mission.
    (b) Among those demands and requests in response to which compliance 
will not ordinarily be authorized are those with respect to which any of 
the following factors, inter alia, exist:
    (1) Compliance would violate a statute or a rule of procedure;
    (2) Compliance would violate a specific regulation or Executive 
order;

[[Page 30]]

    (3) Compliance would reveal information properly classified in the 
interest of national security;
    (4) Compliance would reveal confidential commercial or financial 
information or trade secrets without the owner's consent;
    (5) Compliance would reveal the internal deliberative processes of 
the Executive Branch; or
    (6) Compliance would potentially impede or prejudice an on-going law 
enforcement investigation.