Protected Disclosures

Protected Disclosures for Intelligence and Security matters

The Protected Disclosures Act (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 aims to facilitate disclosure and investigation of serious wrongdoing in the workplace, and protect employees and other workers who raise these concerns.

The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security is the appropriate authority to receive protected disclosures from current or past employees of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, Government Communications Security Bureau, or other agencies where the protected disclosure involves classified information.

The Inspector-General may inquire into issues arising from a protected disclosure or transfer a protected disclosure to another approved authority with relevant expertise (eg the Auditor-General, regarding disclosures of serious financial wrongdoing).

What is a protected disclosure?

A current or past employee, including a secondee, contractor or volunteer, can make a protected disclosure of serious wrongdoing in or by their organisation to appropriate authorities.

Serious wrongdoing is any action, omission or conduct that is one or more of the following:

a. an offence
b. a serious risk to public health, public safety, the health or safety of an individual, or the environment
c. a serious risk to the maintenance of law, including the prevention, investigation and detection of offences, or the right to a fair trial
d. an unlawful, a corrupt, or an irregular use of public funds or public resources
e. oppressive, unlawfully discriminatory, or grossly negligent, or that is gross mismanagement, and is done (or is an omission) by: 

a.  an employee of a public sector organisation
b. a person performing (or purporting to perform) a function or duty or exercising (or purporting to exercise) a power on behalf of a public sector organisation or the Government.

Where the serious wrongdoing involves the NZSIS or GCSB, or classified information, the protected disclosure can only be made:

1. in accordance with the organisation’s protected disclosures procedures; or
2. to the head or deputy head of the organisation; or
3. to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security at any time.

Making a protected disclosure to the IGIS

To contact the Inspector-General:

Phone: +64 4 460 0030
Email:   enquiries@igis.govt.nz
Post:    PO Box 5609, Wellington
Meet:   The Inspector-General can arrange a meeting at the IGIS office or off-site.

You can contact the office of the Inspector-General at any time for guidance or information on protected disclosures.

For more information

For more information on protected disclosures, including the protections available to disclosers and the process that is followed once a protected disclosure is made, please see:

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