Queensland Numbered Acts

RACING INTEGRITY ACT 2016 - SECT 299

299 Insertion of new ss 215A–215C

After section 215—
insert—

215A Protection from liability for giving information

(1) This section applies if a person, acting honestly and in good faith, gives an inspector information the person reasonably believes may help with an investigation of an animal welfare offence.

Example—

Acting in good faith may include a person choosing a time and a place to give the information to an inspector to avoid other people overhearing the information.

(2) The person is not liable, civilly, criminally or under an administrative process, for giving the information.

(3) Also, merely because the person gives the information, the person can not be held to have—

(a) breached any code of professional etiquette or ethics; or

(b) departed from accepted standards of professional conduct.

(4) Without limiting subsections (2) and (3)—

(a) in a proceeding for defamation, the person has a defence of absolute privilege for publishing the information; and

(b) if the person would otherwise be required to maintain confidentiality about the information under an Act, oath or rule of law or practice, the person—

(i) does not contravene the Act, oath or rule of law or practice by giving the information; and

(ii) is not liable to disciplinary action for giving the information.

215B Sharing of information by authorised officer or inspector

(1) Despite section 85, an authorised officer or inspector may give information obtained under this Act in the following circumstances—

(a) to a police officer if the authorised officer or inspector reasonably believes the information will help a police officer in the performance of the police officer’s functions in relation to—

(i) an animal; or

(ii) an animal welfare offence;

(b) to an RIA authorised officer if the authorised officer or inspector reasonably believes the information will help an RIA authorised officer in the performance of the officer’s functions under the Racing Integrity Act 2016 in relation to—

(i) an animal; or

(ii) an animal welfare offence.

(2) In this section—

""
"RIA authorised officer" means an authorised officer under the Racing Integrity Act 2016 .

215C Interaction with other laws

(1) Sections 215A and 215B do not limit a power or obligation under another Act or law to give information about an animal or an animal welfare offence.

(2) Sections 215A and 215B apply to information—

(a) despite any other law that would otherwise prohibit or restrict the giving of the information; and

(b) whenever the information was obtained including before the commencement.

Example of another law for paragraph (a)—

Police Service Administration Act 1990 , section 10.1