Sweeping changes to corporate whistleblowing laws in Australia came into effect on 1 July 2019. The reforms provide for a range of additional protections to eligible whistleblowers, including a right of anonymity/confidentiality, immunity from suit, and an avenue to seek compensation if subjected to retaliation or detrimental conduct.

These protections fundamentally alter the way that public and large proprietary companies must investigate and respond to whistleblowing.

This White Paper explores the new reforms and provides guidance on mitigating risk in the process of investigating whistleblower disclosures. We also provide our predictions for how the enhanced protections will fit within the current climate for increased regulatory action.