Blog

Rewarding whistleblowers financially for speaking up has been offered up by some as a panacea for fixing whistleblowing law. Here Protect volunteer Queenie Sit outlines our position, highlighting the severe limits of rewards in protecting and encouraging whistleblowers.   In the UK, whistleblowers bringing a claim under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (“PIDA”) before an ... Read more

Protect's Head of Policy, Andrew Pepper-Parsons, details our response to the shocking findings of the Ockenden Report and calls for an independent review of Speak Up in the NHS. ‘If I could say anything to the families it would be that there were people who tried to make changes, we tried to escalate our concerns ... Read more

Protect Head of Policy, Andrew Pepper-Parsons, responds to reports that the Metropolitan Police will issue 20 fines to government officials over illegal parties held during lockdown.  If press reports are correct and 20 fixed penalties are due to be issued for breaches to lockdown laws at 10 Downing Street and Whitehall, then the scale of ... Read more

Our March newsletter of 2022 is now out! It features details of our work on the Economic Crime Bill to protect whistleblowers, new training courses, information on the updated ICC whistleblowing guidelines, updates on the French approach to the EU whistleblowing Directive, and details of a webinar on 28 April where we will be launching ... Read more

Protect’s Advice Line is unique in two crucial ways:   1) The sheer volume of whistleblowers who contact it (more than 45,000 to date)    2) The support it provides.   To our knowledge, there are no other free legal advicelines for whistleblowers. We are unique in  providing in-depth expert advice on what rights whistleblowers have at their disposal ... Read more

Protect Legal Adviser, Emma Darlow Stearn, reflects on the significant legal protections provided to whistleblowers in France and how they can inform legal reform in the UK. It may be helpful to look across the channel for inspiration from France’s new whistleblowing law.   In 2019, the EU ‘whistleblowing’ directive was passed, setting a minimum standard ... Read more

Protect Legal Adviser, Isaac Heather, highlights the significant gaps in UK law when it comes to protecting free expression. As we continue to see tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, much of our day-to-day activity rightly feels utterly diminished in both its relevance and its significance.   One facet, one truth, one value that has had its ... Read more

Protect Head of Policy, Andrew Pepper-Parsons, reflects on the Economic Crime Bill and what it means for whistleblowing and the fight against corruption in the UK. He also looks forward to the next Economic Crime Bill, which promises more comprehensive action to protect whistleblowers.  It should have happened sooner, and it should not have taken ... Read more

Protect Business Support Executive, Grace Wilkin, responds to the ICC's updated whistleblowing guidelines, highlighting the key improvements. The ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) has just released its updated Guidelines on Whistleblowing for organisations. These come as part of the ICC’s initiative to fight corruption across all sectors.   These guidelines are an updated version of the ... Read more

Protect Head of Advice & Advocacy, Bob Matheson, explains the case of Dr Chris Day and how it highlights the vital importance of reforms to UK whistleblowing law.   In 2018, Dr Chris Day contributed a blog for our website in which he described his whistleblowing story. It began: “One night in January 2014 I ... Read more