Expectations of Justice

The biggest crime by the whistleblower is their own naivety. Obtaining justice after making a public interest disclosure of suspected wrongdoing is not a hopeless goal, but it will not be easy. It is usually very dangerous, and very, very few have achieved this.

QWAG is concerned that, whatever stage a whistleblower (or potential whistleblower) is at in making a public interest disclosure, or in dealing with alleged reprisals, the whistleblower has realistic expectations about what may happen.

The responses that may be taken by agencies and authorities to the disclosure made, and to any subsequent disclosure of alleged reprisal taken against the whistleblower because of that disclosure, may be in accordance with the law, but they may also only be in accordance with ineffective law, or may not be in accordance with the law.

Parliamentary Committees, QWAG respectfully submits, also need to avoid naivety with respect to the expectations that such Committees may have about how any provisions of new whistleblowing protection may be administered.

In short, it must be effective, not mere window dressing and not honoured more in the breach than it otherwise should be.