📜 Judicial Commission Bill 2026

Disclosure of confidential information by a person who is or has been a member of the Commission, an investigating panel, or the Director or a staff member

“(2) A person who is or has been a member of the Commission, an investigating panel, or the Director or a staff member must not, directly or indirectly, record, disclose or make use of any information obtained by reason of the person’s involvement in the administration of this Act, except for the purposes of, or in connection with, the administration of this Act. Penalty: a fine of $10 000 and imprisonment for 1 year.”

Disclosure of certain information restricted

“130. Disclosure of certain information restricted (1) A person must not, directly or indirectly, record, disclose or make use of any information obtained by reason of the person’s involvement in the administration of this Act, being information that identifies or is capable of identifying a judicial officer who is the subject of a complaint, except for the purposes of, or in connection with, the administration of this Act. Penalty: a fine of $10 000 and imprisonment for 1 year.”

False or misleading information

“133. False or misleading information A person who gives information to the Commission, the Director or an investigating panel that the person knows to be false or misleading in a material particular is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of $10 000 and imprisonment for 1 year.”

Bribery of witness

“70. Bribery of witness A person who — (a) gives, confers or procures, or promises or offers to give, confer or procure, any property or benefit of any kind to, for or on behalf of, any person on an agreement or understanding that any person called or to be called as a witness in any proceedings before an investigating panel will — (i) give false evidence; or (ii) withhold true evidence; or (iii) not attend as a witness; or (b) attempts to obstruct or in any way interfere with the due administration of justice, or attempts to obstruct or in any way interfere with any person called or to be called as a witness in any proceedings before an investigating panel, is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 5 years.”

Fraud on witness

“71. Fraud on witness A person who practises any fraud or deceit on, or knowingly makes any false statement to, any person called or to be called as a witness in any proceedings before an investigating panel with intent to affect the evidence of that person as a witness is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 2 years.”

Destroying evidence

“72. Destroying evidence A person who, knowing that any book, document or other thing is or may be required in evidence in any proceedings before an investigating panel, wilfully destroys it or renders it illegible or undecipherable or incapable of identification, with intent to prevent it from being used in evidence, is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 2 years.”

Preventing witness from attending

“73. Preventing witness from attending A person who wilfully prevents any person who has been summoned to attend as a witness in any proceedings before an investigating panel from attending as a witness, or from producing any book, document or other thing according to the summons, is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 2 years.”

Injury or detriment to witness

“74. Injury or detriment to witness A person who causes any injury or detriment to a person because the person has attended or proposes to attend as a witness in any proceedings before an investigating panel, or has given or proposes to give evidence in any such proceedings, is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 2 years.”

Dismissal by employer of witness

“75. Dismissal by employer of witness (1) An employer who dismisses any employee from their employment, or prejudices any employee in their employment, because the employee has attended or proposes to attend as a witness in any proceedings before an investigating panel, or has given or proposes to give evidence in any such proceedings, is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 2 years. (2) In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1), if it is proved that an employee was dismissed or prejudiced in their employment after a summons to attend as a witness in any proceedings before an investigating panel had been served on the employee, or after the employee had given evidence in any such proceedings, it is to be presumed, in the absence of proof to the contrary, that the dismissal or prejudice was because the employee had attended or proposed to attend as a witness in the proceedings, or had given or proposed to give evidence in the proceedings.”

Other offences

“76. Other offences A person who, without lawful excuse, fails to comply with a requirement made under section 54(1) or 58(1) is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of $5 000.”