Where we’re at with whistleblowing

Australia was “once ahead of the curve” when it came to protecting and empowering whistleblowers. However, as Kieran Pender notes, “we are now seeing them being punished”. On this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Human Rights Law Centre senior lawyer Kieran Pender to discuss the state of affairs in whistleblowing around Australia, including reflection on where our whistleblowing laws once were compared to where they’re at now, and what both major political parties are saying about this umbrella issue with a federal election around the corner. Mr Pender also details numerous current high-profile whisteblowing cases that Australian lawyers should be aware of (such as the trials being brought against former ACT attorney-general Bernard Collaery, ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle and former defence lawyer David McBride), the extent to which Australian legal professionals are paying attention to these cases, how some lawyers are advocating for better whistleblower protections and how Australians more broadly feel about the need to bolster whistleblower protections. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.   If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!