The three Australian Capital Territory Court of Appeal judges unanimously rejected the 61-year-old former army lawyer’s appeal against the severity of a five years and eight months prison sentence imposed a year ago.
The judges also rejected McBride’s argument that as a military officer he had sworn an oath to Queen Elizabeth II and therefore had a sworn duty to act in the “public interest.”
“It is my own conscience and the people of Australia that I answer to. I have kept my oath to the Australian people,” McBride said in the lawyers’ statement.
Are whistleblowers not protected by law in Aus? We are actively encouraged in our country, but there is a very strict framework to be followed for it to be legal
There are protections, but as always legality can be questioned. In this case, I think he got fucked:
https://theconversation.com/david-mcbride-is-facing-jailtime-for-helping-reveal-alleged-war-crimes-will-it-end-whistleblowing-in-australia-218108
How can his attempts to tell the department or police about his concerns be considered classified information.
That is some bullshit.
Not just that, but how does that exclusion not also create instant reasonable doubt?
Thanks for digging for the info!
On the non-state-security side:
Not anything near what it’s like in the US. There are no incentives. “If you decide to blow the whistle you had better be financially independent”