Part 8Miscellaneous

Part 8—Miscellaneous 64—Obstruction etc A person must not, without reasonable excuse, obstruct, hinder, resist or improperly influence, or attempt to obstruct, hinder, resist or improperly influence, the CCYP, the CACYP, the Guardian, the Committee or the Council in the performance or exercise of a function or power under this Act. 65—False or misleading statements A person must not make a statement knowing that it is false or misleading in a material particular (whether by reason of the inclusion or omission of a particular) in information provided under this Act. 66—Confidentiality (1) A person engaged or formerly engaged in the administration of this Act must not divulge or communicate personal information obtained (whether by that person or otherwise) in the course of official duties except— (a) as required or authorised by or under this Act or any other Act or law; or (b) with the consent of the person to whom the information relates; or (c) in connection with the administration or enforcement of this or any other Act; or (d) for the purposes of referring the matter to a law enforcement agency, or a person or agency exercising official duties under an Act relating to the care or protection of children; or (e) to an agency or instrumentality of this State, the Commonwealth or another State or a Territory of the Commonwealth for the purposes of the proper performance of its functions; or (f) if the disclosure is reasonably necessary for the protection of the lawful interests of that person. (2) Subsection (1) does not prevent disclosure of statistical or other data that could not reasonably be expected to lead to the identification of any person to whom it relates. (3) Information that has been disclosed under subsection (1) for a particular purpose must not be used for any other purpose by— (a) the person to whom the information was disclosed; or (b) any other person who gains access to the information (whether properly or improperly and whether directly or indirectly) as a result of that disclosure. (4) The regulations may make further provision in respect of the disclosure of information obtained in the course of the administration of this Act. 67—Victimisation (1) A person who causes detriment to another on the ground, or substantially on the ground, that the other person or a third person has provided, or intends to provide, information under this Act commits an act of victimisation. (2) Causing detriment on the ground that a person— (a) has made a false allegation; or (b) has not acted in good faith, does not constitute an act of victimisation. (3) An act of victimisation under this Act may be dealt with— (a) as a tort; or (b) as if it were an act of victimisation under the Equal Opportunity Act 1984, but, if the victim commences proceedings in a court seeking a remedy in tort, the victim cannot subsequently lodge a complaint under the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 and, conversely, if the victim lodges a complaint under that Act, the victim cannot subsequently commence proceedings in a court seeking a remedy in tort. (4) If a complaint alleging an act of victimisation under this Act has been lodged with the Commissioner for Equal Opportunity and the Commissioner is of the opinion that the subject matter of the complaint has already been adequately dealt with by a competent authority, the Commissioner may decline to act on the complaint or to proceed further with action on the complaint. (5) In proceedings against a person seeking a remedy in tort for an act of victimisation committed by an employee or agent of the person, it is a defence to prove that the person exercised all reasonable diligence to ensure that the employee or agent would not commit an act of victimisation. (6) A person who personally commits an act of victimisation under this Act is guilty of an offence. (7) Proceedings for an offence against subsection (6) may only be commenced by a police officer or a person approved by either the Commissioner of Police or the Director of Public Prosecutions. detriment includes— (a) injury, damage or loss; or (b) intimidation or harassment; or (c) discrimination, disadvantage or adverse treatment in relation to a person's employment; or (d) threats of reprisal. 68—Protections, privileges and immunities (1) No liability attaches to the CCYP, the CACYP, the Guardian, a member of the Committee, a member of the Council or any other person for any act or omission in good faith in the exercise or purported exercise of powers or functions under this or any other Act. (2) Nothing in this Act affects the privileges, immunities or powers of the Legislative Council or House of Assembly or their committees or members. (3) Nothing in this Act affects any rule or principle of law relating to— (a) legal professional privilege; or (b) "without prejudice" privilege; or (c) public interest immunity. (4) A person is excused from answering a question or producing a document or other material in connection with an inquiry if the person could not be compelled to answer the question or produce the document or material in proceedings in the Supreme Court. (5) The CCYP has, in connection with an inquiry under section 15, and the CACYP has, in connection with an inquiry under section 20M, the same protection, privileges and immunities as a Judge of the Supreme Court. (6) A person who provides information or a document to an inquiry under this Act has the same protection, privileges and immunities as a witness in proceedings before the Supreme Court. (7) A legal practitioner who represents a person in connection with an inquiry under this Act has the same protection, privileges, immunities and obligations as counsel involved in proceedings before the Supreme Court. (8) A person who does anything in accordance with this Act, or as required or authorised by or under this Act, cannot by so doing be held to have breached any code of professional etiquette or ethics, or to have departed from any acceptable form of professional conduct. 69—Service (1) Subject to this Act, a notice or document required or authorised to be given to a person for the purposes of this Act may— (a) be given to the person personally; or (b) be posted in an envelope addressed to the person at the person's last known residential, business or (in the case of a corporation) registered address; or (c) be left for the person at the person's last known residential, business or (in the case of a corporation) registered address with someone apparently over the age of 16 years; or (d) be transmitted by fax or email to a fax number or email address provided by the person (in which case the notice or document will be taken to have been given or served at the time of transmission). (2) Without limiting the effect of subsection (1), a notice or other document required or authorised to be given or sent to, or served on, a person for the purposes of this Act may, if the person is a company or registered body within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 of the Commonwealth, be served on the person in accordance with that Act. 71—Regulations (1) The Governor may make such regulations as are contemplated by, or necessary or expedient for the purposes of, this Act. (2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the regulations may provide for— (a) the exemption of a person, or a class of persons, from the operation of a specified provision or provisions of this Act; and (b) fees in respect of any matter under this Act and their payment, recovery or waiver; and (c) fines, not exceeding $10 000, for offences against the regulations; and (d) facilitation of proof of the commission of offences against the regulations. (3) The regulations may— (a) be of general or limited application; and (b) make different provision according to the matters or circumstances to which they are expressed to apply; and (c) make provisions of a saving or transitional nature; and (d) provide that a matter or thing in respect of which regulations may be made is to be determined according to the discretion of a specified person or body; and (e) apply or incorporate, wholly or partially and with or without modification, a code, standard, policy or other document prepared or published by the Minister or another specified person or body. (4) If a code, standard or other document is referred to or incorporated in the regulations— (a) a copy of the code, standard or other document must be kept available for public inspection, without charge and during ordinary office hours, at an office or offices specified in the regulations; and (b) evidence of the contents of the code, standard or other document may be given in any legal proceedings by production of a document apparently certified by the Minister to be a true copy of the code, standard or other document.