President ratifies whistleblower protection bill
The government sponsored bill was passed by the People's Majlis last week
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih - Presidency.gov.mv
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has ratified the Bill on Protection of Whistleblowers, on Thursday.
The government sponsored bill was passed by the People's Majlis last week, with 70 lawmakers voting in favor.
The parliament accepted the bill on July 17, and was sent to the committee on independent institutions for further review. The committee took over two months to complete the review, and send its report to the parliament floor.
The Bill on Protection of Whistleblowers will empower and protect whistleblowers and investigate their claims, and defines whistleblowing as exposing acts of corruption and criminal behavior, acts that violate international human rights laws, dangers to public health and the environment, state graft, miscarriages of justice, and mismanagement or misuse of resources.
The bill states that whistleblowers are to be protected from civil and criminal lawsuits, administrative action, and have their personal information kept hidden. Revealing a whistleblower’s personal information will result in a sentence of three months to five years.
It was also mentioned in the incumbent president's presidential address last November, and is "one of the first efforts" taken by his administration.
Following ratification, the Act has now been published in the Government Gazette.
