From www.themandarin.com.au: Richard Boyle, an Australian Taxation Office whistleblower, has avoided jail time after pleading guilty to four charges related to the disclosure of protected information and recording private conversations, as part of a controversial plea deal.

His actions ignited a national debate on whistleblower protections, with supporters labelling him a hero for exposing harmful debt-recovery practices, while critics argue that the prosecution criminalizes courage.

Calls for urgent reform of whistleblower laws have intensified following Boyle’s case, highlighting failures in protecting individuals who expose government wrongdoing.