Whistleblowing and whistleblower protections in the Covid-19 era

 

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Whistleblowing and whistleblower protections in the Covid-19 era

A webinar presented by the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee, IBA Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee and the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit

Whistleblowers have been a prominent feature of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. From the Chinese doctor who first sought to highlight the novel coronavirus, to medics across the globe who have blown the whistle on supply shortages, whistleblowers have been a vital source of information during the pandemic. But too often attempts have been made to silence these voices - China's Dr Li was ordered by police to 'stop making false comments', while numerous doctors and nurses have lost their jobs for speaking up. This reality sits uneasily with the efforts made in many jurisdictions in recent years to implement robust whistleblower protection laws. Are these protections sufficient? Will Covid-19 inspire new whistleblowing legislation? What has the crisis taught us to date about whistleblowing and whistleblower protections in the modern era?

Join the International Bar Association (IBA) for this timely interactive seminar, hosted by the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit, the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee and the IBA Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee.

Following the panel discussion, there will be a brief presentation on the IBA’s forthcoming report – developed in collaboration with the Government Accountability Project – assessing the effectiveness of whistleblower protection laws across the globe.


'As global society seeks to recover from this devastating pandemic, address the climate crisis and improve prosperity among the disadvantaged, whistleblowing will be more essential than ever'

- IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto in his foreword to the forthcoming report


Moderator

Opening remarks

Panel

Kieran Pender
Senior Legal Advisor, Legal Policy & Research Unit, International Bar Association, London

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Leopoldo Pagotto
Freitas Leite Advogados, São Paulo; Co-Chair, IBA Anti-Corruption Committee

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Patrick L Benaroche
Stikeman Elliott, Montreal; Senior Vice-Chair, IBA Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee

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Anna Myers
Executive Director, Whistleblowing International Network, Glasgow

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Panel

Presentation

Schona Jolly QC
Cloisters Chambers, London

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Tom Devine
Legal Director, Government Accountability Project, Washington, DC

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Samantha Feinstein
Deputy Director, International, Government Accountability Project, Washington, DC

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