The new laws aim to balance the public interest with source confidentiality.
Journalists in Queensland will be able to protect the identity of their confidential sources in the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC), under new laws introduced in the state today.
The Crime and Corruption and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 will extend journalist shield laws to CCC proceedings, ensuring journalists cannot be compelled to provide information, documents or answer questions at a CCC hearing where this would disclose the identity of a confidential source, unless it is in the public interest.
It follows the introduction of shield laws relating to cases in Queensland courts, including the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, in November 2021. At that time, the government said shield laws would not cover the CCC.
But Premier Steven Miles said today the new laws would balance the responsibilities of both the media and the CCC.
“Our state is well served by our hard-working journalists, and protecting their sources is critical. It’s important enough that we will extend shield laws to protect Queensland journalists and limit the powers of the CCC. Sometimes in a democracy it is necessary to balance the powers, protections and responsibilities of entities like the CCC and the media,” he said.
Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Yvette D’Ath, added that the change delivered on a government commitment to expand journalist shield laws to protect confidential sources.
“The new laws recognise journalists and the media as crucial members of a strong democracy, and there should be a presumption that their confidential sources are protected,” she said.
The reforms follow a period of consultation on the issue, held by the Queensland government in 2021.
PIJI partnered with the Centre for Advancing Journalism to prepare a submission to that consultation, supporting the development of shield laws on the basis that the protection of journalists’ sources is a key component of the production of public interest journalism.
Prior to its consultation on shield laws, Queensland was the only Australian jurisdiction with no form of protection that journalists could rely on in court to protect anonymous sources. In June 2021, the Queensland government sought evidence of best practices in the implementation of shield laws from academics, media, legal experts, and other states and territories, and subsequently introduced shield laws into Parliament in November 2021.