Text as at 1 July 2026

This provision has not been checked by a human. The text below was read automatically from the official PDF and has not yet been verified against it, so it may differ from the provision as published — in its wording, its numbering, or where one provision ends and the next begins. For the authorised text, see legislation.vic.gov.au.

45 Grounds on which informant may refuse disclosure

How this provision has changed across versions can't be shown yet: the versions of this Act held here were read by different versions of the parser, and comparing them would report the parsers' own disagreements as amendments. Re-parse every version to restore it.

Explained inBill clause 45

(1)The informant may refuse to disclose any information, document or thing that is required by this Division to be disclosed to the accused if the informant considers that disclosure would, or would be reasonably likely to—

(a)prejudice the investigation of a contravention or possible contravention of the law or prejudice the enforcement or proper administration of the law in a particular instance; or

(b)prejudice the fair hearing of the charge against a person or the impartial adjudication of a particular case; or

(c)disclose, or enable a person to ascertain, the identity of a confidential source of information in relation to the enforcement or administration of the law; or

(d)disclose methods or procedures for preventing, detecting, investigating or dealing with matters arising out of contraventions or evasions of the law the disclosure of which would, or would be reasonably likely to, prejudice the effectiveness of those methods or procedures; or

(e)endanger the lives or physical safety of persons engaged in, or in connection with, law enforcement or persons who have provided confidential information in relation to the enforcement or administration of the law; or

(f)endanger the life or physical safety of a person referred to in section 43(1)(a) or of a family member, as defined in the Family Violence Protection Act 2008, of such a person; or

S. 45(1)(f) amended by No. 42/2015 s. 15(1)(a).

(g)result in the disclosure of child abuse material to the accused personally.

S. 45(1)(g) inserted by No. 42/2015 s. 15(1)(b), amended by No. 47/2016 s. 37(5).

(1A)The informant may not refuse, on the ground referred to in subsection (1)(g), a request under section 43(1)(c) for inspection of exhibits by the accused's legal practitioner (but not the accused personally).

S. 45(1A) inserted by No. 42/2015 s. 15(2).

(2)The informant may refuse to disclose any information, document or thing that is requested under section 43(1)(d) on any ground on which the informant would be entitled to refuse to produce the information, document or thing under a witness summons.

(3)The informant may refuse to disclose the particulars of any previous conviction of any witness who the informant intends to call at the hearing if the previous conviction is, because of its character, irrelevant to the proceeding but the informant must advise the accused of the existence of any undisclosed previous convictions.

See section 14 of the Victims' Charter Act 2006 as to

Notes to s. 45 amended by No. 68/2009 s. 51(p).

1victims' privacy.

2See section 416 as to the prosecution's general obligation of disclosure.