14A. Information required by Tribunal or Commissioner

the Tribunal or the Commissioner may, despite that court order or written law, obtain from a prescribed officer under subsection (1) any information, record, document or article that identifies (or is likely to lead to the identification of) that person, but only for the purpose mentioned in subsection (2)(aa); and

the prescribed officer, in providing that information, record, document or article to the Tribunal or the Commissioner (as the case may be), does not contravene that court order or written law if that information, record, document or article is provided only for that purpose.

identifying and locating the children of the parent;

ascertaining whether the parent has any record or purported record of abandonment, abuse or neglect of a child of the parent;

assessing the veracity of or supplementing the information provided by the parent, applicant, respondent or children of the parent;

assessing the ability of the parent to maintain himself or herself, and each of the children of the parent to maintain the parent, including but not limited to their respective incomes, earning capacity, property and other financial resources, expenses and liabilities.

take reasonable steps to ensure that the information, record, document or article is kept confidential to the Tribunal or the Commissioner, as the case may be;

not use the information, record, document or article except —

in the case where subsection (1A) applies — for the purpose mentioned in subsection (2)(aa); or

in any other case — for a purpose mentioned in subsection (2);

subject to subsection (4), disclose the information, record, document or article only —

as between the Commissioner and the Tribunal and any officer of the Tribunal, or any person acting for or under the direction of the Tribunal, for the purposes stated in subsection (2);

where permission is required under this Act for the filing of an application under section 3 in respect of the parent to whom the information, record, document or article relates —

to the parent, or any person mentioned in section 11 who intends to make the application on the parent’s behalf; or

to an approved person or organisation mentioned in section 3(2) who intends to make the application;

with the written permission of the prescribed officer who provided the information, record, document or article, or the public authority that the prescribed officer is a public officer of at the time the information, record, document or article is provided, to the Tribunal or the Commissioner, as the case may be;

when required to do so by any court or under any written law; or

for the purposes of any criminal proceedings or for any other purpose the disclosure of which is required or authorised by or under any written law.

only to —

a person mentioned in subsection (3)(c)(i);

where permission is required under this Act for the filing of an application under section 3 in respect of a parent to whom that information, record, document or article relates —

the parent, or any person mentioned in section 11 who intends to make the application on the parent’s behalf; or

an approved person or organisation mentioned in section 3(2) who intends to make the application; or

where required by a court mentioned in section 16, 17 or 18 — that court; and

only to the extent necessary to show that a parent has a record or purported record of abandonment, abuse or neglect of a child of the parent and the date of the record.

that the information, record, document or article is subject to a court order or written law (as the case may be) that prohibits the publication of any information (or the doing of any other act) that is likely to lead to the identification of a person mentioned in that court order or written law; and

where the recipient is a person mentioned in subsection (4)(a)(i) or (ii) — that the recipient must not disclose the information, record, document or article, or any part of it, or do any other act, in contravention of that court order or written law.