Section 24 — Assessment and investigation of report, etc.

(1)On receiving a report under section 23(1), the Commissioner must assess the report to determine whether or what further action, including any investigation, is appropriate under this Act.

(2)The Commissioner may, subject to any written law, seek and receive any information that the Commissioner considers will assist the Commissioner in the conduct of the Commissioner’s assessment or investigation.

(3)The Commissioner may, for the purposes of an investigation under this section, exercise the powers of investigation set out in sections 49 and 51.

(4)The Commissioner may suspend, discontinue or refuse to assess a report, or the conduct of an investigation, or the taking of any further action under this section, if the Commissioner thinks fit, including but not limited to any of the following circumstances:

(a)the person who made the report is not a person who is eligible to make a report under section 22;

(b)the person who made the report did not comply with any prescribed requirement mentioned in section 23(2);

(c)the report did not comply with any requirement under section 23(3);

(d)the Commissioner is of the opinion that the matter may be more appropriately addressed by another public agency and has referred the matter to that public agency;

(e)the Commissioner is of the opinion that —

(i)the report has been resolved; or

(ii)any other circumstances warrant such suspension, discontinuation or refusal.