Statutory Bodies and Government Companies (Protection of Secrecy) Act

Status:

Not current version
(effective from 30 Mar 1987 to 15 Oct 1987)

(CHAPTER 319)

(Original Enactment: Act 17 of 1983)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act to protect the secrecy of information of statutory bodies and Government companies.

[20th January 1984]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Statutory Bodies and Government Companies (Protection of Secrecy) Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, “specified organisation” means a statutory body or a Government company which is specified in the Schedule.

Protection of secrecy

3.—(1) No person who is or has been a member, officer, employee or agent of a specified organisation shall, without authority of that organisation, disclose to any other person any secret or confidential document or information which he has obtained or to which he has access by virtue of his position as such member, officer, employee or agent.

(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply —

(a)	to the disclosure of any document or information for the purpose of the performance of his duties or functions by a member, officer, employee or agent of a specified organisation; or
(b)	to the disclosure of any document or information which is lawfully required or authorised to be disclosed by any court or under the provisions of any written law.

(3) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

Consent for prosecution

4. No prosecution shall be instituted under this Act without the written consent of the Attorney-General.

Amendment of Schedule

5. The President may, by notification in the Gazette, amend the Schedule.

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