Queensland moves to lock in whistleblower ‘shield laws’
A draft bill is expected to be circulated to stakeholders within weeks before shield laws are introduced to Queensland parliament in June.
Journalists hauled before coercive corruption watchdog hearings will be protected from revealing whistleblower sources under Queensland law changes expected this year.
Last May, Queensland became the final Australian jurisdiction to introduce “shield laws”, which give journalists legal professional privilege from revealing sources in court.
But the state government blocked a push from the LNP and Greens to extend protections to Crime and Corruption Commission proceedings, despite backing from lawyers and journalists.
It was a blow for a Brisbane television journalist, who faces prison for upholding his right to protect a police source.
The journalist, who can only be identified as “witness F”, has been in the civil courts since 2020, defending his refusal at a previous CCC hearing to disclose the source of leaks about a parallel murder and counter-terrorism investigation.
Under its sweeping powers, the CCC can compel witnesses to answer questions and produce documents that may override the privilege against self-incrimination.
Last year Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman committed to extending shield laws to CCC hearings. A draft Bill is expected to be circulated within weeks before laws are introduced to Queensland parliament in June.
Journalists’ union the MEAA has long campaigned for national shield law reform to ensure legal protections are uniform across the country.
The federal government has committed to safeguards for journalists when the national anti-corruption commission is set up later this year.
A spokeswoman for federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the commission could not compel a journalist to identify their source at a hearing or in response to a notice to produce.
“And we have strengthened that provision to extend this to persons assisting the journalist, like cameramen,” she said.
Mr Dreyfus will meet media organisations next month to discuss “press freedom issues and further options for reform”.
“At the Standing Council of Attorneys-General there was agreement for all jurisdictions to work to consider ways to harmonise shield laws, or bring greater consistency to shield laws,” his spokeswoman said.
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