Glossary

A whistleblower mechanism is the set of channels and procedures an organisation sets up so that staff and others can report suspected wrongdoing confidentially, have it assessed and investigated, and receive protection.

A whistleblower policy is a written document that tells people how to report suspected wrongdoing, how reports are handled and investigated, and what protection reporters can expect.

Whistleblower protection is the set of legal and organisational safeguards that shield people who report wrongdoing from retaliation, such as dismissal, demotion or harassment, and keep their identity confidential where possible.

Wilful blindness is deliberately avoiding finding out the truth about something you suspect, so that you can claim not to have known. Many courts treat it as equal to actual knowledge.