Queensland Consolidated Acts

LEGAL PROFESSION ACT 2007 - SECT 537

537 Confidentiality for external intervener for law practice

(1) A person who is or was an external intervener for a law practice, or a person who helped the external intervener in the intervention, must not disclose information obtained as a result of the appointment or external intervention except so far as is necessary for exercising the functions or powers of a person who is or was an external intervener for the law practice.

(2) However, the person may disclose information to any of the following—

(a) a court, tribunal or other person acting judicially;

(b) the law society or a regulatory authority of another jurisdiction;

(c) the commissioner;

(d) an officer of, or an Australian legal practitioner instructed by, any of the following in relation to a proceeding, inquiry or other matter pending or contemplated arising out of the external intervention—

(i) the law society or another regulatory authority of another jurisdiction;

(ii) the Commonwealth or a State;

(iii) an authority of the Commonwealth or a State;

(e) a member of the police service or police force of any jurisdiction if, at the time of the disclosure, the person believes that the information relates to an offence that may have been committed by the law practice concerned or by an associate of the law practice;

(f) the law practice concerned or a principal of the law practice or, if the practice is an incorporated legal practice, a shareholder in the practice;

(g) a client or former client of the law practice concerned if the information relates to the client or former client;

(h) another external intervener for the law practice, or an Australian legal practitioner or accountant employed by that other intervener;

(i) an external examiner exercising powers in relation to the trust records of the law practice concerned.