Background
This template is for student journalists seeking to compel a Virginia public body to turn over records requested under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The template provides a general outline for petitions for mandamus or injunctive relief filed in circuit court, with areas for editing in brackets. The primary remedies for an aggrieved party under the VFOIA are a writ of mandamus or an injunction. Va. Code Ann. § 2.2-3713(A). While there is no provision for an administrative appeal, informal appeals to a public body’s chief executive officer or attorney are encouraged.