Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission

The IBAC is a statutory authority established by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Act 2011 (Vic) (‘IBAC Act’).

IBAC has jurisdiction to investigate corruption, and the conduct and misconduct of police officers. However, the majority of police misconduct complaints received by IBAC are referred back to Victoria Police for investigation.

IBAC is more likely to investigate a complaint if:

• the complaint is against a very senior police officer;

• the complaint relates to serious problems with police practices or procedures;

• the complaint relates to a systemic issue (e.g. multiple complaints about one police station);

• the complaint relates to corruption;

• the complainant has objective evidence depicting the alleged police misconduct (e.g. CCTV footage or footage captured on a mobile phone); or

• IBAC thinks it is in the public interest for it to investigate the complaint.

IBAC has extensive investigatory powers and can even hold public hearings. IBAC also has an oversight function and can monitor investigations into police misconduct conducted by the Victorian police.

For IBAC’s contact details, see ‘Contacts’ at the end of this chapter.

Some reports or complaints made about wrongdoing are known as ‘public interest complaints’; this is most likely in circumstances where the complaint is about improper conduct, such as criminal offences. This may mean that there are restrictions on whether or with whom you are able to discuss the complaint. 

Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission

Chapter: 12.4: Complaints against Victoria Police

Contributor: Jeremy King, Principal, Robinson Gill Lawyers; Accredited Personal Injury Specialist; Nick Boag, Teaching Associate & PhD candidate, Faculty of Law, Monash University; and Ella Keogh, Lawyer, Robinson Gill Lawyers

Current as of: 1 September 2024

Law Handbook Page: 1034

Next Section: Collecting evidence