South Australian Current Acts

EVIDENCE ACT 1929 - SECT 72B

72B—No liability incurred for failure to disclose identity of informant in court proceedings

        (1)         Subject to this section, but despite any other provision of this Act or any other Act or law, if, in the course of proceedings to which this Part applies, a person satisfies the court that—

            (a)         the person is—

                  (i)         a journalist; or

                  (ii)         a prescribed person in respect of a journalist; and

            (b)         —

                  (i)         in the case of a journalist—the journalist; or

                  (ii)         in the case of a prescribed person—the journalist in respect of whom the person is a prescribed person,

has been given information by an informant; and

            (c)         the informant gave the information to the journalist in the expectation that the information may be published in a news medium; and

            (d)         the informant reasonably expected that the informant's identity would be kept confidential (whether because of an express undertaking given by the journalist or otherwise),

then the person does not incur any criminal or civil liability for failing or refusing to answer any question, or to produce any document or other material, that may directly or indirectly disclose the identity of the informant.

        (2)         However, the court may, on the application of a party to the proceedings or (subject to subsection (3)) on its own motion—

            (a)         order that subsection (1) does not apply to, or in relation to, a person; and

            (b)         make any ancillary order the court thinks appropriate.

        (3)         The court may only make orders on its own motion if—

            (a)         all parties to the proceedings before the court are not legally represented; or

            (b)         the court is of a kind that does not make orders on application by parties.

        (4)         The court may only make an order under subsection (2)(a) if it is satisfied that, having regard to the circumstances of the case, the public interest in disclosing the identity of the informant—

            (a)         outweighs any likely adverse effect of the disclosure on the informant or any other person; and

            (b)         outweighs the public interest relating to the communication of information by the news media generally; and

            (c)         outweighs the need of the news media to be able to access information held by potential informants.