Crime and Corruption (Reporting) Amendment Bill 2024

Overview

This bill would have given the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) clear legal powers to publicly report on corruption investigations and make public statements about corruption matters. It was introduced after the High Court ruled in 2023 that the CCC had no authority to publish reports on individual corruption investigations, leaving a gap in public accountability. This bill lapsed at the end of the 57th Parliament and did not become law.

Who it affects

All Queenslanders would have benefited from greater transparency about corruption investigations. People investigated for corruption would have gained new procedural rights, while elected office holders would have faced greater public scrutiny.

Key changes

• Would have given the CCC power to prepare and publish three types of reports: public hearing reports, corruption investigation reports, and corruption prevention reports
• Would have required the CCC to apply a public interest test before reporting or making public statements, weighing transparency against individual rights
• Would have restricted when individuals can be named in reports, with a higher threshold for identification unless they are elected office holders or meet a serious corrupt conduct threshold (conviction, QCAT finding, or termination)
• Would have required the CCC to give people at least 30 days to respond before being named in a public report, with a further 14-day right of reply
• Would have created offences for leaking draft CCC reports or proposed public statements, carrying penalties of up to 85 penalty units or one year's imprisonment
• Would have shielded the CCC from civil liability for reports published before the High Court's September 2023 decision