vaughn index
Vaughn index. A comprehensive list of all documents that the government wants to shield from disclosure in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation, each document being accompanied by a statement of justification for nondisclosure. • Supported by one or more affidavits, a Vaughn index has three purposes: (1) forcing the government to scrutinize all material withheld; (2) enabling the trial court to fulfill its duty of ruling on the factual basis of each claimed FOIA exemption; and (3) enabling the adversary system to operate by giving the requester as much information as possible.5 USCA §§ 552 et seq. The name derives from Vaughn v. Reese, 484 F.2d 820 (D.C. Cir. 1973). [Cases: Records 62.]
