Better protections for whistle-blowers will mean a safer society for all of us says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA), and whistle-blowers and their legal advisors should never face negative consequences for seeking or providing legal advice.
“Whistle-blowers and their lawyers should never have to contend with the possibility of being prosecuted and imprisoned – or face any other negative consequences – for seeking or providing legal advice relating to public interest disclosures,” said Mr Graham Droppert SC, immediate past president, Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
Mr Droppert SC gave evidence today to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee at the hearing for the inquiry into the Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022.
“We are pleased to see that this Bill expressly provides for whistle-blowers to obtain legal advice so that there will never be reprisals for seeking or providing legal advice,” said Mr Droppert SC. “We need to make the system easier for whistle-blowers to navigate so they can obtain support, guidance and legal advice more readily.
“It is essential that whistle-blowers know who they can consult to obtain legal advice and where to turn for support.
“Many whistle-blowers in the past have risked their health and their careers in acting as guardians of good governance and exposers of corruption and abuse.We all owe them an incalculable debt, but they should not be exposed to such risks and damagers in the future.”
The ALA strongly believes that the protection of whistle-blowers is essential for promoting integrity, accountability and trust in both public and non-public institutions.
“We need comprehensive and powerful whistle-blower protections to encourage and protect those who know what is going on to call out abuse, corruption and illegal conduct.It will make for a better and safer society,” said Mr Droppert SC.
“A number of recent Royal Commissions have revealed systemic abuse in aged care and the disability sector and a complete failure to ensure integrity in the ‘robodebt’ pursuit of innocent Australians. If whistle-blowers felt safe to come forward with concerns we may have been to avoid some of these alarmingly incidents of misconduct and abuse.”
ALA’s submission can be read here.
