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McBride to explain whistleblower laws

David McBride, who leaked classified documents which exposed war crimes in Afghanistan.

High-profile military whistleblower David McBride will explain the legal aspects of his controversial case for an online seminar this week.

The former army legal officer will speak on Thursday as part of this year’s James Cook University (JCU) Law Seminar Series.

Mr McBride is awaiting sentencing for national security offences related to his leak of classified documents which exposed war crimes committed by Australians in Afghanistan.

Focusing on the pivotal Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth), he will delve into the Act‘s explicit provisions, particularly its consideration of media engagement as a means to facilitate “public interest disclosure”.

Through real-life cases, including that of Tax Office whistleblower Richard Boyle, he will examine the challenges when using the Act as a defence against charges related to public information release.

Drawing from his personal experiences, he will shed light on limitations imposed by public interest immunity claims, raising critical questions about the government’s commitment to protecting whistleblowers.

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The McBride Whistleblower Trial will be held online at 3pm on 29 February. The one-hour presentation is worth 1 CPD point. Register here.

For details of other presentations in the James Cook University Law Seminar Series, visit the website.

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