Maintaining confidentiality when dealing with voluntary PIDs

Having mechanisms in place to protect the identity of people who make a public interest disclosure (PID) is key to encouraging people to report serious wrongdoing and creating a positive speak up culture. Often, the fear that others will find out that they have made a report of wrongdoing can be a significant factor which stops people coming forward.

Under the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2022 (PID Act), public officials and agencies must not disclose information that identifies or tends to identify a person as the maker of a voluntary PID, unless the disclosure is permitted under the PID Act.