Review of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010

On 23 November 2022 the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, the Honourable Shannon Fentiman announced the Queensland Government had begun its review of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (the PID Act). Read the Terms of Reference.

This review was recommended by Professor Peter Coaldrake AO in his report Let the sunshine in: Review of culture and accountability in the Queensland public sector.

The PID Act facilitates reports of wrongdoing in the public sector when it is in the public interest to do so, as well as providing protections for those who make disclosures. It is a key part of Queensland’s integrity framework, so it is important that this legislation is effectively achieving its goals and reflects best practice.

The Reviewer

The Honourable Alan Wilson KC is conducting the review. Mr Wilson was appointed as a Supreme Court judge and the inaugural president of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 2009, and retired from the Supreme Court in March 2015. Prior to his judicial career, Mr Wilson worked extensively as a barrister and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1999. He was a District Court judge and Planning and Environment Court judge from 2001 to 2009, and a Childrens Court judge from 2003 to 2009.

Consultation

From 30 January 2023 public submissions were sought in response to an Issues paper. Submissions closed at 5pm on Friday 24 February 2023.

While the final report was initially expected to be completed by 30 April 2023, due to the significant number of submissions—and late submissions—received, Mr Wilson requested an extension which has been granted by the Attorney-General. The new deadline for the final report is 19 June 2023.

Contact

For more information about the review, email the Public Interest Disclosure Review Secretariat at PIDActReview@justice.qld.gov.au.