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Secrecy Provisions: the Law Reform Project

National Information Law Conference 2011

Professor Rosalind Croucher

President, ALRC

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Context

A modern headline

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Secrecy obligations?

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Goreng

Goreng

Kessing

Johnston

Petroulias

Prosecutions

The law reform brief

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The Hon R McClelland MPAttorney-General

... options for ensuring a consistent approach across government to the protection of Commonwealth information, balanced against the need to maintain an open and accountable government through providing appropriate access to information.

Terms of reference

Review of Secrecy Laws

Balancing of needs and interest

Protect Govtinfo

Access to info

Private sector

Gov’t

Gov’t

Private sector

Gov’t

Need to share information

• size up the problem• define the conceptual/policy landscape• consultation, consultation, consultation• report

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Law reform process

Category

Legislation Provision CategoryInformation protected 1

Information protected 2

parties 1 parties 2collecting etc

possessing usingdisclosing etc

make a record of etc

Disclosure etc to who or what?

Expressly regulates disclosure etc to courts and tribunals?

Expressly regulates disclosure etc to parliaments

Initial or subsequent conduct

fault element for conduct regulated

Type of penalty

Imprisonment

monetary penalty

specified or Crimes Act

Required or authorised by law

Authority of entity

Disclosure to specified entity

Legal proceedings

Enforcement Consent Public interest Health or safety De-identified

A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999

s 30 Market Personal Official ConsultantState/territory employees

N/A N/A disclosingmaking a record of

Any person yes yes Both Intent CriminalImprisonment_2 year

$ 13,200.00 Crimes ActRequired_functions+Act

N/ADiscl_Cth+State+other

Legal proceedings

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

A New Tax System (Bonuses for Older Australians) Act 1999

s 55 Welfare Personal Any person N/A N/A using disclosingmaking a record of

Any person no no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_2 year

$ 13,200.00 Crimes Act Required_Act N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

A New Tax System (Family Assistance)(Administration) Act 1999

s 163 Welfare Personal Any person obtaining N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A no no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_2 year

$ 13,200.00 Crimes ActRequired_Act+other Act

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

A New Tax System (Family Assistance)(Administration) Act 1999

s 164 Welfare Personal Any person N/A N/A using disclosingmaking a record of

Any person no no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_2 year

$ 13,200.00 Crimes ActRequired_Act+other Act

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

A New Tax System (Family Assistance)(Administration) Act 1999

s 165 Welfare Personal Any person soliciting N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A no no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_2 year

$ 13,200.00 Crimes Act N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

A New Tax System (Family Assistance)(Administration) Act 1999

s 166(1) Welfare Personal Any personoffer to supply

N/A Any person no no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_2 year

$ 13,200.00 Crimes Act N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

A New Tax System (Family Assistance)(Administration) Act 1999

s 166(2) Welfare Personal Any person N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Any person no no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_2 year

$ 13,200.00 Crimes Act N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

A New Tax System (Family Assistance)(Administration) Act 1999

s 167 Welfare OfficialOfficers specified Cth agencies

Agency head N/A N/A N/Aproducing document

N/A Any person yes no Initial N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

A New Tax System (Family Assistance)(Administration) Act 1999

s 168 Welfare N/ARequired_functions+Act+other Act

Authority_Agency

Discl_Cth N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005

s 191 Indigenous PersonalSenior statutory corporations

Staff statutory corporations

N/A N/A N/A divulgingmaking a record of

Any person yes no Initial Intent Criminal $ 5,500.00 Specified Required_Act N/A N/A N/A N/A Consent N/A N/A N/A

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005

s 193S Indigenous Official PersonalSenior statutory corporations

Staff statutory corporations

N/A N/A disclosing Any person yes no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_1 year

$ 6,600.00 Crimes ActRequired_functions

N/A N/A N/AEnforcement_criminal

N/A N/A N/A N/A

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005

s 200A Indigenous PersonalOfficers specified Cth agencies

Agency head N/A N/A N/A divulgingmaking a record of

Any person yes no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_1 year

$ 6,600.00 Crimes ActRequired_functions+Act

N/A N/A N/A N/A Consent N/A N/A N/A

Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976

s 23E(2) Indigenous PersonalSenior statutory corporations

Staff statutory corporations

N/A N/A N/A divulgingmaking a record of

Any person yes no Initial Intent CriminalImprisonment_1 year

$ 6,600.00 SpecifiedRequired_functions

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

exceptions and defencesProvision Monetary penaltyConduct regulated Disclosure etc to who or what?Information protected parties regulated

Mapping the landscape

506!!!!

Variation in penalties

$550 to2 years prison + 13,2000

Unauthorised disclosure of

personal information

Variation in penalties

Unauthorised disclosure of identity

ASIO

? Ten years

One year

Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) s 70

Existing general secrecy offence

Covers any past or present ‘Commonwealth officer’

Prohibits disclosure of Commonwealth information ‘which it is his or her duty not to disclose’

No express public interest test

Maximum penalty = 2 years imprisonment

The APS Code of Conduct

Public Service Regulation 7(13)

An APS employee must not, except in the course of his or her duties as an APS employee or with the Agency Head’s express authority, give or disclose, directly or indirectly, any information about public business or anything of which the employee has official knowledge

Public Service Regulation 2.1

An APS employee must not disclose information which the APS employee obtains or generates in connection with the APS employee’s employment if it is reasonably foreseeable that the disclosure could be prejudicial to the effective working of government …

Specific Secrecy Provisions

ALRC found over 500 other secrecy provisions

• Examples:• Age Discrimination Act 2004 s 60• Defence Act 1903 s 73A• Ombudsman Act 1976 s 35• Reserve Bank Act 1959 ss 79A, 79B

About 70% expressly create criminal offences

Conceptual landscape

“No information out of the strict course of official duty shall be given, directly or indirectly, by any officer without the express direction or permission of the responsible Minister”

Civil Service Act 1862 (Vic), Reg 20

First provision:

What has changed?

government to

government

public sector to private

sector

Need to share information FOI laws +

proposed reforms

whistleblower reforms

Open and accountable government

Implied right to freedom of political communication

Consultation

Consultation

Consultation1800 760 2918 am to 8 pm

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Report

Reform framework

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• administrative and disciplinary frameworks play the central role

• criminal sanctions should only be imposed where they are warranted

• there is a continuing role for properly framed secrecy offences

Harm to the Public Interest

A duty of secrecy should only be imposed where:• information genuinely requires

protection; and• disclosure is likely to harm the public

interest

The public interest may be express or implied

Proposals for Reform

A new general secrecy offence

• Crimes Act 1914 Criminal Code• Require that there be harm, an

intention to harm, or a reasonable likelihood of harm to specified public interests eg national security

Re-evaluate all other provisions

• Do they substantially replicate the new offence?

What next?

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• Report tabled• Government to respond• Watch ALRC Annual Reports for

implementation progress

For further information

• ALRC website – all papers, reports available online (free): www.alrc.gov.au• Email: info@alrc.gov.au

• GPO Box 3708, Sydney 2001