Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2011

On an application under section 147, the Supreme Court must determine whether or not the information required in answer to a question asked at the examination or otherwise required to be provided or the document or other thing in the sealed envelope or secured otherwise than in an envelope is the subject of—

privilege; or

any secrecy requirement under an enactment or other law.

If the application is in respect of a document or other thing, for the purposes of making a determination under subsection (1), the Judge constituting the Supreme Court and any other person authorised by the Court may—

open the sealed envelope or access the document or other thing secured otherwise than in an envelope; and

inspect the document or thing.

If the Court determines that the document or other thing is the subject of privilege or a secrecy requirement under an enactment or other law—

the Court must order that the document or thing be returned to the claimant; and

the proper officer must return the document or thing to the claimant.

If the Court determines that the document or other thing is not the subject of privilege or a secrecy requirement under an enactment or other law—

the Court must order that the document or thing be given to the IBAC; and

the proper officer must release the document or thing accordingly.

If the Court determines that the information which is an answer to a question or otherwise required to be provided is the subject of privilege or a secrecy requirement under an enactment or other law, the Court must order that the claimant is not required to provide the information to the IBAC in answer to the question or is not otherwise required to provide that information, as the case requires.

If the Court determines that the information which is an answer to a question or otherwise required to be provided is not the subject of privilege or a secrecy requirement under an enactment or other law, the Court must order that the claimant provide the information to the IBAC in answer to the question or otherwise provide that information in accordance with the requirement of the IBAC, as the case requires.

Subject to subsection (2), a person must not open a sealed envelope or otherwise have access to the document or thing contained in the sealed envelope before—

the Court determines the claim of privilege or the application of a secrecy requirement to it; or

the document or thing is returned to the claimant.

Subject to subsection (2), a person must not open or otherwise have access to a document or thing secured otherwise than in an envelope before—

the Court determines the claim of privilege or the application of a secrecy requirement to it; or

the document or thing is returned to the claimant.