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AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ACT 1986 - SECT 49

Non - disclosure of private information

  (1)   A person who is, or has at any time been, a member of the Commission or a member of the staff referred to in section   43 or is acting, or has at any time acted, for or on behalf of the Commission shall not, either directly or indirectly:

  (a)   make a record of, or divulge or communicate to any person, any information relating to the affairs of another person acquired by the first - mentioned person by reason of that person's office or employment under or for the purposes of this Act or by reason of that person acting, or having acted, for or on behalf of the Commission; or

  (b)   make use of any such information as is mentioned in paragraph   (a); or

  (c)   produce to any person a document relating to the affairs of another person furnished for the purposes of this Act.

Penalty:   50 penalty units or imprisonment for 1 year, or both.

  (2)   A person who is, or has at any time been, a member of the Commission or a member of the staff referred to in section   43 or is acting, or has at any time acted, for or on behalf of the Commission shall not be required:

  (a)   to divulge or communicate to a court any information relating to the affairs of another person acquired by the first - mentioned person by reason of that person's office or employment under or for the purposes of this Act or by reason of that person acting, or having acted, for or on behalf of the Commission; or

  (b)   to produce in a court a document relating to the affairs of another person of which the first - mentioned person has custody, or to which that person has access, by reason of that person's office or employment under or for the purposes of this Act or by reason of that person acting, or having acted, for or on behalf of the Commission;

except where it is necessary to do so for the purposes of this Act.

  (3)   Nothing in this section prohibits a person from:

  (a)   making a record of information that is, or is included in a class of information that is, required or permitted by an Act to be recorded, if the record is made for the purposes of or pursuant to that Act;

  (b)   divulging or communicating information, or producing a document, to an instrumentality of a State in accordance with an arrangement in force under section   16; or

  (c)   divulging or communicating information, or producing a document, that is, or is included in a class of information that is or class of documents that are, required or permitted by an Act to be divulged, communicated or produced, as the case may be, if the information is divulged or communicated, or the document is produced, for the purposes of or pursuant to that Act.

Note:   A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to a matter in subsection   (3) (see subsection   13.3(3) of the Criminal Code ).

  (4)   Nothing in subsection   (2) prevents a person being required, for the purposes of or pursuant to an Act, to divulge or communicate information, or to produce a document, that is, or is included in a class of information that is or class of documents that are, required or permitted by that Act to be divulged, communicated or produced.

  (4A)   Subsection   (1) does not prevent the Commission, or a person acting for or on behalf of the Commission, from giving information or documents in accordance with paragraph   20(4A)(e) or (4C)(f).

Note:   A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to a matter in subsection   (4A) (see subsection   13.3(3) of the Criminal Code ).

  (4B)   Subsection   (1) does not prevent a person from making a record of, divulging, communicating or making use of information, or producing a document, if the person does so:

  (a)   in the performance of a duty under or in connection with this Act; or

  (b)   in the course of acting for or on behalf of the Commission.

Note:   A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection   (4B) (see subsection   13.3(3) of the Criminal Code ).

  (4C)   Subsection   (1) does not prevent the Commission, or a person acting for or on behalf of the Commission, from giving information or documents to an IGIS official for the purpose of the IGIS official exercising a power, or performing a function or duty, as an IGIS official.

Note:   A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to a matter in subsection   (4C) (see subsection   13.3(3) of the Criminal Code ).

  (5)   In this section:

"court" includes any tribunal, authority or person having power to require the production of documents or the answering of questions.

"produce" includes permit access to.



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