Public Interest Immunity

Have you ever heard of keeping a secret? Sometimes, grown-ups keep a secret so that everyone can be safe and happy. Similarly, the government also keeps secrets to keep us safe. However, sometimes, the government needs to share their secrets to help a case being heard in court.

But, what does the government do when sharing their secrets can do more harm than good to the people? In those situations, they can use something called Public Interest Immunity (PII).

PII is when the government asks the court to keep some information a secret. The court will then decide whether the secrets should be kept secret or whether it is more important that everyone knows it.

For example, say that you had a secret toy that no one could see or touch. If someone said they had to know what the toy was for an important reason, you might not want to tell them. You might even say that if you told them, it would make bad things happen. This is just like PII.

So, next time you hear about Public Interest Immunity, you will know that it's just like keeping your secret toy safe!