The Human Rights Law Centre launches Australia's first dedicated legal service for whistleblowers
By exposing human rights violations, government wrongdoing and corporate misdeeds, whistleblowers make Australia a stronger democracy. But right now, whistleblowers in Australia face retaliation within their own workplaces. They continue to be sued by their employers for speaking out; some are being criminally prosecuted for telling the truth.
The Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project is Australia’s first dedicated, specialist legal service for whistleblowers, established to empower people to speak up about human rights abuses and serious injustice, and protect them when they do.
Despite the existence of whistleblower protection laws in every Australian jurisdiction, the laws have not worked in practice. Whistleblower protections have proven inaccessible and practically unenforceable. 80 percent of whistleblowers in Australia report suffering personal reprisals for speaking up. In the most extreme cases, people face the prospect of prison.
David McBride is facing prosecution for exposing alleged war crimes in Afghanistan; Richard Boyle after revealing aggressive debt collection tactics at the Australian Taxation Office.
The Whistleblower Project will provide expert legal support so whistleblowers can safely reveal wrongdoing under the protection of law and ensure the wrongdoing they disclose is dealt with promptly and fairly. The Whistleblower Project will also continue the Human Rights Law Centre’s proud tradition of advocacy, law reform and policy work to strengthen whistleblower protections in Australia.
Find out more: hrlc.org.au/whistleblower-project
Quotes attributed to Caitlin Reiger, CEO of Human Rights Law Centre:
“The launch of the Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project is a landmark moment for whistleblower protections in Australia. While there is so much that Australians know thanks to the courage of individual whistleblowers, we need to be concerned about what we don’t know - and what stories may never be told - because people are too afraid and unsupported in speaking up.
“People who courageously speak up when they see something wrong are vital to ending cultures of impunity. They should be recognised as human rights defenders, not punished. Our laws should protect these individuals and hold accountable those in power who breach human rights, yet Australia is lagging behind global standards. The Albanese Government must drop the prosecutions of Richard Boyle and David McBride, fix the law and establish a whistleblower protection authority.
“The Project would not be possible without the support of our pro bono law firm and counsel partners, philanthropic supporters and funding partners – we are deeply grateful for their support.”
Quotes attributed to Jeff Morris, whistleblower who contributed to the Banking Royal Commission:
“In a situation where whistleblowers in this country are not protected and are even prosecuted and threatened with imprisonment for telling the truth, it falls to others to stand with them for the sake of truth and integrity. This is what the Human Rights Law Centre's Whistleblower Project is about.”
Quotes attributed to Andrew Wilkie MP, whistleblower and Federal Independent MP for Clark, Tasmania:
“My whistleblowing, in 2003 when I resigned from my intelligence position over the invasion of Iraq, gave me an acute awareness of the difficulties, risks and costs of speaking out. No wonder there are so few whistleblowers, and that those who do dare speak truth to power often end up unemployed, friendless and broke, at best, or facing jail or suicidal ideation at worst.
“The Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project will help turn this around by supporting good people when they need it the most. And be a warning to wrongdoers that there’s now a better chance they’re going to get caught.”
Due to the exclusions within the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth), the Human Rights Law Centre is unable to receive disclosures containing intelligence information or information with a national security or other protective security classification.
The Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project is made possible by generous support from the Victorian Legal Services Board’s Grants Program, Mannifera, the McKinnon Family Foundation and the ACME Foundation.
Media contact: Michelle Bennett: 0419 100 519 michelle.bennett@hrlc.org.au