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.
Things you can do now to be prepared.
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.
How we keep safe on ACT roads.
Business obligations for safe workplaces.
Keeping ACT Government assets and information secure.
A national approach to security preparedness and planning.
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 and other justice portfolio agencies are responsible to the ACT Attorney General and Minister for Police and Emergency Services.
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.
The ACT has a proud history in the protection and promotion of human rights.
The ACT Human Rights Act 2004 was the first bill of rights in Australia. It incorporates internationally recognised civil and political rights in an Act of the Legislative Assembly and is often described as providing a 'dialogue model' of human rights law. Features of this dialogue include:
For a variety of information about human rights law in the ACT and around the world visit the Australian National University's website.
Introduction of the Right to Education
On 29 March 2012, the Attorney-General introduced the Human Rights Amendment Bill 2012 into the Legislative Assembly. Amongst other reforms, the bill includes the right to education in the Human Rights Act.
The Government’s response to the Report of the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Research Project Team in the Legislative Assembly was tabled on the on the same day.
The report examined whether the Human Rights Act 2004 should be amended to explicitly incorporate those rights included in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, or ESCR, and if so, the likely impacts on governance in the ACT.
The research was led by two internationally-recognised human-rights lawyers, Professor Hilary Charlesworth from the Australian National University and Professor Andrew Byrnes from the University of New South Wales and funded by the Australian Research Council. The ACT Department of Justice and Community Safety (as the Directorate was known at that time) was proud to be involved as an industry partner.
The Human Rights Act 2004 required that the Government review the operations of the Act one and five years after it came into effect. In 2006 the Department joined with the Australian National University under an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage agreement to review the operation of the Human Rights Act in the ACT. The ANU's resulting report Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT): The First Five Years of Operation was tabled in the Legislative Assembly in 2009.
The Report on the first five years of operation of the Human Rights Act 2004 identified that the Human Rights Act has resulted in an improved quality of law-making in the Territory to ensure that human rights concerns are given due consideration.
It also found that, as a result of the Human Rights Act, advances have been made towards ensuring the full enjoyment of human rights in the ACT’.
On 29 March 2012, the Attorney-General tabled the Government’s response to the 5 year Review in the Legislative Assembly. Implementation of agreed recommendations will increase awareness of, and compliance with, human rights within the ACT public service and fortify the existing human rights culture across the ACT.
In 2009 the National Human Rights Committee reported on its nationwide consultation into human rights protections in Australia. The Committee received in excess of 35,000 submissions. Further information about the consultation is available from the National Human Rights Consultation website.