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 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 victims of Crime Commissioner advocates for victims of crime and is responsible for delivering services to victims of crime
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 ACT Government seeks active engagement with the community and proactive improvement of its administration, legislation, and communication strategies to share information.
This 2011 paper is the Government's response the the inquiry into the Freedom of Information Act 1989.
Beyond the Binary: legal recognition of sex and gender diversity in the ACT, was prepared by the ACT Law Reform Advisory Council (LRAC). The Attorney-General the Government response to the Council’s report in March 2013. On 28 November 2013 a revised Government response was tabled in the Assembly which responded to national developments in the area of sex and gender recognition. On that same day, the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2013 was introduced to the assembly proposing legislative reform to give effect to the revised government response.
This paper has been prepared by the ACT Department of Justice and Community Safety as part of an initiative to improve access to justice in the Territory.
Workload pressures in the Supreme Court have highlighted a gap in the ACT justice system. Unlike most Australian jurisdictions, the ACT has no intermediate court. Much of the work currently undertaken in the ACT Supreme Court would occur in the intermediate district or county court in jurisdictions such as New South Wales and Victoria.
In response to the gap between judicial resources and case load in the Supreme Court, the ACT Government proposes
The ACT Criminal Justice Statistical Profile is an historical series of crime data that is compiled and tabled quarterly in the ACT Legislative Assembly.
It provides updated trends in recorded crime offences in the ACT and contains ACT Policing, ACT Law Courts, ACT Corrective Services and Youth Justice data for the previous three months.
These guidelines are used by the Department of Justice & Community Safety to assess whether to waive the fees normally payable for a freedom of information request. Applicants who believe that fees should be waived on public interests grounds should review the guidelines for information on when an exemption may or may not be available.