Victorian Current Acts

PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURES ACT 2012 - SECT 21

    (1)     This section applies if—

        (a)     a public interest disclosure—

              (i)     is made in accordance with Division 2 of Part 2 to an entity other than to—

    (A)     the IBAC; or

S. 21 (1)(a)(i)(B) amended by No. 31/2024 s. 113(Sch.  1 item 28.7(a)).

    (B)     Integrity Oversight Victoria under section 14(b); or

    (C)     the Integrity and Oversight Committee under section 14(a); or

              (ii)     is a misdirected disclosure; and

        (b)     the entity that received the disclosure (the  receiving entity ) considers that the disclosure may be a disclosure that—

              (i)     shows or tends to show—

    (A)     a person, public officer or public body has engaged, is engaging or proposes to engage in improper conduct; or

    (B)     a public officer or public body has taken, is taking or proposes to take detrimental action against a person in contravention of section 45; or

              (ii)     the person who made the disclosure believes on reasonable grounds shows or tends to show—

    (A)     a person, public officer or public body has engaged, is engaging or proposes to engage in improper conduct; or

    (B)     a public officer or public body has taken, is taking or proposes to take detrimental action against a person in contravention of section 45.

S. 21(2) amended by No. 27/2024 s. 153(a).

    (2)     The receiving entity must, no later than 28 days after the disclosure is made, notify the disclosure to the appropriate entity for assessment under this Part.

S. 21(3) repealed by No. 27/2024 s. 153(b).

    *     *     *     *     *

S. 21(4) amended by No. 27/2024 s. 153(c).

    (4)     For the purposes of subsection (2), the appropriate entity to which a public interest disclosure must be notified is—

S. 21(4)(a) amended by No. 31/2024 s. 113(Sch.  1 item 28.7).

        (a)     the Integrity and Oversight Committee—if the disclosure relates to Integrity Oversight Victoria or an Integrity Oversight Victoria Officer; or

S. 21(4)(b) amended by No. 31/2024 s. 113(Sch.  1 item 28.7(a)).

        (b)     Integrity Oversight Victoria—if the disclosure relates to the IBAC, an IBAC Officer or a Public Interest Monitor; or

S. 21(4)(ba) inserted by No. 50/2021 s. 138, repealed by No. 31/2023 s. 52.

    *     *     *     *     *

        (c)     the IBAC—if the disclosure relates to any other person or body.

Note

The protections under Part 6 apply to a public interest disclosure whether or not the disclosure is notified to the appropriate entity under this section.

S. 22 substituted by No. 2/2019 s. 9.