June 23, 2022.  Today is World Whistleblower Day, which focuses on whistleblowing in Europe, the United Kingdom, and abroad. Various international foundations highlight the importance of whistleblowers on the global stage, particularly in international organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union.

Despite the prominence and protections of the United States False Claims Act, it is one of many whistleblower and anti-corruption laws worldwide.

The concept of qui tam (from the Latin phrase, qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, roughly “he who as much for the king as for himself”) originates in medieval England.  In filing a qui tam lawsuit, a whistleblower or relator is bringing attention to fraud against the government for their own reward in addition to the welfare of taxpayers and the country.

Who can be a whistleblower?

Whistleblowers don’t always look like Edward Snowden.  Whistleblowers can be anyone with insider knowledge of fraud taking place in settings involving government-funded healthcare programs, government contracts, imported items, and the financial sector.

Other Whistleblower Days to Celebrate

The United Nations’ Anti-Corruption Day is December 9th, and the United States’ National Whistleblower Appreciation Day is July 30th, commemorating the passage of the first whistleblower law in the U.S.