Queensland Consolidated Acts

ANIMAL CARE AND PROTECTION ACT 2001 - SECT 215A

215A Protection from liability for giving information

(1) This section applies if a person, acting honestly and in good faith, gives an inspector information the person reasonably believes may help with an investigation of an animal welfare offence.

Example—

Acting in good faith may include a person choosing a time and a place to give the information to an inspector to avoid other people overhearing the information.

(2) The person is not liable, civilly, criminally or under an administrative process, for giving the information.

(3) Also, merely because the person gives the information, the person can not be held to have—

(a) breached any code of professional etiquette or ethics; or

(b) departed from accepted standards of professional conduct.

(4) Without limiting subsections (2) and (3) —

(a) in a proceeding for defamation, the person has a defence of absolute privilege for publishing the information; and

(b) if the person would otherwise be required to maintain confidentiality about the information under an Act, oath or rule of law or practice, the person—

(i) does not contravene the Act , oath or rule of law or practice by giving the information; and

(ii) is not liable to disciplinary action for giving the information.