Written by Doogue + George Directors Andrew George and Dee Giannopoulous, this guide explains what happens if you’re summonsed to appear before the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC), the body that investigates serious corrupt conduct and police misconduct within the Victorian public sector.
It sets out IBAC’s powers, including entry, search and seizure, and the power to compel you to produce documents and answer questions, even where those answers might incriminate you. It explains what a confidentiality notice means (and why telling anyone other than your lawyer about a summons can itself be a criminal offence), what to expect across an examination and a public hearing, and why witnesses are often called back more than once as an investigation progresses.
The guide also covers the limited protections that do exist around self-incriminating evidence, the unresolved legal questions around derivative use of that evidence, and the significant penalties, including prison time, for failing to attend, refusing to answer questions, or breaching a confidentiality notice. It finishes by explaining that IBAC can refer matters to the Director of Public Prosecutions or prosecute them itself, and why getting a lawyer involved immediately, before you respond to a summons, is essential.
