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.
Whistleblowing or Public Interest Disclosure, can cover many situations where provision of information to the public may lead to the exposure of improper or illegal activity within an organisation.
For government, whistleblowing is the disclosure, usually by a staff member, to the public or to authorities, of improper conduct by public bodies and public officers.
The whistleblower is someone who brings improper conduct by a public body or official to public attention so that it can be investigated. A whistleblower will often come forward because of a sense of public duty and personal ethical standards.
ACT residents are covered by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1994.
The Act is designed to protect people who disclose information about serious wrongdoing within the public sector and to make sure such matters are properly investigated and resolved. It ensures public organisations are responsible and accountable.
The Act aims to:
Improper conduct, referred to as 'disclosable conduct in the Act, means conduct that could constitute:
The Act provides protected disclosure status to whistleblowers. Protected disclosure provides a number of protections under the Act including:
According to the Act, a person can make a disclosure about improper conduct within public bodies such as:
You cannot make a disclosure about courts, boards, tribunals, commissions or other bodies over which a judge, magistrate or legal practitioner presides who is appointed by virtue of a statutory requirement.
Australian Capital Territory OmbudsmanGround Floor, 1 Farrell PlaceCanberra ACT 2601P: GPO Box 442, Canberra ACT 2601W: ombudsman.act.gov.auE: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.au