Victorian Current Acts

PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURES ACT 2012 - SECT 38

    (1)     This Part applies to the following disclosures—

        (a)     a public interest disclosure made in accordance with Division 2 of Part 2;

        (b)     a misdirected disclosure;

        (c)     a complaint by a police officer or a protective services officer about the conduct of another police officer or protective services officer made in accordance with section 167(3) of the  Victoria Police Act 2013 ;

        (d)     an external disclosure made in accordance with section 38A.

    (2)     A reference in this Part (other than a reference in this section or section 38A) to a public interest disclosure is taken to be a reference to a disclosure to which this Part applies.

    (3)     This Part applies to a public interest disclosure made in accordance with Division 2 of Part 2 or a misdirected disclosure from the time the disclosure is made—

S. 38(3)(a) amended by No. 31/2024 s. 113(Sch.  1 item 28.28).

        (a)     whether or not the entity to which the disclosure was made has notified the disclosure to the IBAC, Integrity Oversight Victoria or the Integrity and Oversight Committee; and

S. 38(3)(b) amended by No. 31/2024 s. 113(Sch.  1 item 28.28).

        (b)     whether or not the IBAC, Integrity Oversight Victoria or the Integrity and Oversight Committee has determined that the disclosure is a public interest complaint.

    (4)     This Part applies to a complaint referred to in subsection (1)(c) from the time the complaint is made—

        (a)     whether or not the complaint is investigated by the Chief Commissioner of Police; and

        (b)     whether or not the Chief Commissioner of Police has notified the complaint to the IBAC under section 22; and

        (c)     whether or not the IBAC has determined that the complaint is a public interest complaint.

    (5)     Any further information relating to a public interest disclosure provided by the person who made the disclosure is to be treated as if it were a public interest disclosure.

    (6)     Subsection (5) applies only to further information provided, whether orally or in writing, to—

        (a)     in the case of a public interest disclosure made in accordance with Division 2 of Part 2—the entity to which the disclosure was made; or

        (b)     the IBAC; or

S. 38(6)(c) amended by No. 31/2024 s. 113(Sch.  1 item 28.28).

        (c)     Integrity Oversight Victoria; or

        (d)     the Integrity and Oversight Committee; or

        (e)     an investigating entity that is investigating the disclosure; or

S. 38(6)(f) amended by No. 27/2024 s. 156(a).

        (f)     a person engaged by the Integrity and Oversight Committee under Part 4A to investigate a public interest disclosure;

S. 38(6)(g) inserted by No. 27/2024 s. 156(b).

        (g)     the Privileges Committee of a House of the Parliament; or

S. 38(6)(h) inserted by No. 27/2024 s. 156(b).

        (h)     a person engaged to support the Privileges Committee of a House of the Parliament.

S. 38A inserted by No. 2/2019 s. 21.