On Wednesday, former ATO debt collector turned whistle-blower Richard Boyle lost his bid to avoid prosecution over information he collected about practices at the organisation's South Australian office.

Mr Boyle tried to help a number of small business owners he believed were being treated unfairly, eventually taking his concerns to the media.

He now faces the likelihood of a criminal trial, and potentially a long jail sentence, one of several high profile prosecutions which highlight the lack of protections for whistle blowers.

• Guest: Adele Ferguson, ABC Investigative Reporter