The Directorate is responsible for reviewing and developing policy and legislation across the justice and community safety portfolio.
Our law enforcement regime maintains the public safety and social order of the community.
A variety of organisations and programs come together to identify and respond to crime, safety and justice priorities.
Information about the ways we promote, support and protect rights.
All about the Human Rights Act, how it works and the review process.
FOI gives members of the community a legally enforceable right to access documents held by government.
Access to a range of emergency response information.
Our emergency response framework.
Members of our community who respond in emergencies.
Safety considerations and information for personal and family wellbeing.
How we keep our community safe.
Information about the Infrastructure Safety and Security Grants Program.
Business obligations for safe workplaces.
Keeping ACT Government assets and information secure.
A national approach to security preparedness and planning.
How we keep safe on ACT roads.
The Directorate is responsible for legislation dealing with commercial regulation in the ACT.
In the ACT there are rights and responsibilities that regulate how business owners, their staff and their customers interact.
The Office of Regulatory Services undertakes activities to ensure compliance to regulations.
The Directorate educates the ACT community and industry on regulatory functions and obligations.
The Directorate is responsible to the Attorney-General, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, the Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and the Minister for Corrections.
The Directorate plays a vital role in providing information and advice to the Minister and supporting ACT representation in national fora.
The Directorate's responsibility for government activities of justice administration, rights protection, business regulation and emergency services.
ACT Corrective Services delivers adult correctional and detention services.
ACT Courts and Tribunal deliver justice through sentencing in criminal cases and rulings in civil cases.
The ACT Emergency Services Agency is responsible for emergency management planning and response.
The ACT Government Solicitor provides legal advice and services to the ACT Government and its agencies.
The Legislation and Policy Branch provides policy advice and research services to develop ACT policies and legislation.
The Office of Regulatory Services undertakes registration and business regulation functions.
The Parliamentary Counsel’s Office provides legislative drafting and publishing services for ACT legislation.
Policing services in the ACT are purchased from the Australian Federal Police.
The Security and Emergency Management Branch is responsible for protection and emergency planning for all hazards, including counter-terrorism.
A number of independent statutory agencies are administered under the portfolio umbrella of justice and community safety.
Victim Support ACT provides specialised assistance to help victims of crime participate in the justice process.
The Director of Public Prosecutions provides independent and effective criminal prosecution services.
Elections ACT is responsible for conducting elections and referendums for the ACT.
The ACT Human Rights Commission promotes the human rights and welfare of people living in the ACT.
The Public Advocate protects the interests, rights and dignity of vulnerable people and those with a disability.
The Public Trustee provides independent, professional trustee and asset management services.
The Work Safety Commissioner promotes and educates stakeholders on matters relating to workplace safety in the ACT.
Media information relating to the justice and community safety portfolio.
This section details the ways to contact the Department as well as agency locations.
This section provides access to our searchable database of publications.
The Legislation and Policy Branch develops policy and legislation across the portfolio's areas of responsibility and provides advice on human rights, civil law and criminal law across legislation.
Groups within the Legislation and Policy Branch are:
The Criminal Law Group provides the Attorney-General with advice on criminal law policy. The Group also has a primary role in developing new legislation and policy reform for the Territory’s criminal justice system. The Group also provides advice and assistance to agencies on criminal law policy, such as offence construction, penalty setting and consequences of conviction.
The Civil Law Group is responsible for advising the Attorney-General about, and developing changes to, the civil law in the ACT. The range of law covered is very broad, encompassing civil wrongs, testamentary law, the law of property (including trusts), classification and censorship of publications, privacy, family and relationships issues, gender and sexual identity. The Group provides advice about the ACT justice framework (courts and tribunals), governance and the constitutional status and operation of the ACT. It is also responsible for the regulation of cooperatives, trustee companies, justices of the peace and mediators, and has general policy oversight of the provision of legal services and the governance and regulation of the ACT legal profession.
The Regulatory Policy Group is responsible to the Attorney-General for the development and amendment of legislation dealing with commercial regulation in the ACT marketplace. The Group considers legal policy and provides advice on issues as diverse as regulatory areas including consumer protection and fair trading matters, liquor, security, business names and motor vehicle trading. The Group also provides legal policy advice on national Council of Australian Government market competition including the National Seamless Economy and other regulatory matters.
The Human Rights, Coordination and Scrutiny Group has wide-ranging responsibility for human rights and freedom of information policy in the ACT and for policy coordination across the Legislation and Policy Branch. The group administers the Human Rights Act 2004 and the Freedom of Information Act 1989. Additionally, the group coordinates the ACT’s involvement with the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General and the National Justice CEOs’ Group, and is responsible for arrangements for the ACT Law Reform Advisory Council.
The group plays a key role in the legislative process, scrutinising all government bills proposed for introduction in the Legislative Assembly for compatibility with the Human Rights Act 2004.
The Justice Planning and Programs Group has a key role in managing the Police Purchase Agreement, participating in and coordinating the development of criminal justice reforms, including policy relevant to victims of crime and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice; and coordinating crime prevention strategies that involve a whole-of-government and community approach to identifying and responding to priority crime and safety concerns.
The Restorative Justice Unit is responsible for providing the ACT community access to restorative justice. It is a community based response to crime that emphasises the consequences of an offence and holds the offender responsible for an act of wrongdoing.
Legislation and Policy BranchLevel 4, 12 Moore StreetCanberra 2601
P: (02) 620 70006F: (02) 620 50937E: JACSLPB@act.gov.au