Upholding Justice and the Public Interest: The Role of Judges in Whistleblower Protection
Organised by: The Whistleblowing International Network (WIN), Transparency International Ireland and the EU Whistleblowing Monitor
When: Thursday 30 April 2026 - 13:30 PM CEST
Where: Online / Zoom
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/VY8KKspHQxGhg4Vi_zd-OQ
About: Whistleblowers are often the first to uncover corruption, abuse of power, environmental harm and other threats to the public interest. Yet without effective legal protection, they can face severe retaliation, legal harassment, and personal ruin. Courts play a decisive role in determining whether whistleblower protections are effective in practice.
This seminar explores how Directive (EU) 2019/1937 is being applied post-transposition, and the key issues judges are likely to face in litigation, including scope of protection, confidentiality, retaliation and evidential burdens, interim measures, remedies, and balancing whistleblower rights with due process rights of persons concerned.
Participants will gain insight into:
- Directive provisions, minimum standards, and emerging best practices in judicial application
- Realities of whistleblowing in practice, including common myths, stigma, and the significant personal and professional costs faced by reporting persons
- Recurring litigation issues: scope of protection, ‘reasonable grounds’ assessments, confidentiality, retaliation analysis, and causation
- Burden of proof and evidential approaches in retaliation disputes, including how to ensure protections are effective in practice
Speakers:
- Ida Nowers, Knowledge and Policy Manager - Transparency International Ireland
- Vladimir Radomirović, Editor in Chief - Pištaljka
- Anna Myers, Executive Director - Whistleblowing International Network
A short briefing paper will be disseminated after the session summarising key takeaways and links to further resources.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.