Disclosure officers cannot delegate authority to someone else. If they did so, whistleblowers would lose the immunity and protection against reprisal provided under the Act. Immunity and protection apply when a disclosure is made to the officer or during the audits carried out by the officer.
As part of an audit, disclosure officers may ask anyone who can provide information or documents to cooperate, as well as ask for an analysis or opinion on a matter, provided that the identity of the whistleblower and the people who cooperate remains confidential. The officers are therefore responsible for ensuring that the procedure guarantees the whistleblower’s anonymity.
To know more about disclosure officers’ obligations, see the Information to public bodies section.
