Justice and Community Safety Directorate

What we do

We provide services to the ACT community and government, across:

• justice
• community safety
• emergency preparedness and response
• protection of rights.

We are committed to:

• maintaining the rule of law and supporting a democratic society
• strengthening community safety
• enhancing access to justice
• caring for and supporting people who are at a higher risk of vulnerability
• protecting people’s legal and human rights and interests
• building community and business resilience to emergencies, disasters and disruptions
• supporting formal partnerships and shared decision making with First Nations peoples.

Read our strategic plan.

Download our annual reports.

Executive

• Director-General, Justice and Community Safety Directorate: Ray Johnson APM (acting)
• Deputy Director-General, Justice: Lisa Manzoney (acting)
• Deputy Director-General Community Safety: Wilhelmina Blount (acting)
• Chief Operating Officer: Aaron Hughes

Download the JACS organisational chart [PDF 167 kB].

Business units

• ACT Government Solicitor: provides legal services, including advice and representation to the ACT, its government agencies, ministers and office holders.
• ACT Courts and Tribunal: supports the administration of justice by providing support and services to judicial officers, tribunal members, and those using the courts and tribunal.
• ACT Corrective Services: provide adult correctional services to support the rehabilitation and successful reintegration of offenders into the community.
• ACT Emergency Services Agency: provides emergency management services to the Canberra community.
• ACT Human Rights Commission: protects the rights of vulnerable members of the community. Provides education and advice to members of the community on how to protect their rights (SOH).
• ACT Parliamentary Counsel's Office: provides legislative drafting and publishing services for the Territory.
• Director of Public Prosecutions: institutes, conducts and supervises prosecutions and related proceedings (SOH).
• First Nations Justice Branch: supports community consultation and management of justice related programs for the ACT First Nations adult community.
• Legislation, Policy and Programs Branch: advises on and develops policy and legislation in relation to all aspects of civil and criminal law in the Territory, including the administration of the justice system. Develops and administers a variety of justice and community safety initiatives.
• Office of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People's Commissioner: protects and promotes the rights, interests and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the ACT (SOH).
• Office of the ACT Inspector of Custodial Services: provides independent oversight of ACT correctional and youth justice facilities, focusing on continual improvement and the prevention of ill-treatment (SOH).
• Public Trustee and Guardian: provides permanent and secure trustee, guardianship and administration services to the ACT community (SOH).
• Security and Emergency Management Division (SEMD): provides whole-of-government coordination and strategic policy advice on security and emergency management matters across the ACT.
• Strategic Policy and Programs, Community Safety: provides policy advice and program design for community safety priority issues.

SOH denotes a statutory office holder. They exercise their role independently with administrative support from the Directorate. The duties and functions of statutory office holders are assigned in legislation.

Boards councils and committees

We work with a number of boards, councils, committees and other bodies who help inform the work of our Directorate.

Read about JACS boards, councils and committees.

Contact us

Feedback and complaints

If you’re not happy with a Justice and Community Safety Directorate service, you can complain to us or give us feedback.

Find out how to complain.

Freedom of information request

If you're looking for information, you may be able to:

• ask us for it
• check if it's already available on one of our websites
• make a Freedom of Information (FOI) application.

Find out how to get information or make an FOI application.

Public interest disclosures

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012 (the PID Act) provides a framework for reporting and investigating allegations of serious wrongdoing in the ACT Government.

A public interest disclosure can be made about any conduct or activities that:

• could result in a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or the environment; or
• is maladministration, which is anything that could result in:
  • a substantial mismanagement of public resources or public funds
  • a substantial mismanagement in the performance of official functions

Anyone, including members of the public, can make a public interest disclosure..

Nominated disclosure officers at the Justice and Community Safety Directorate are:

• Naveen Wijemanne, Executive Branch Manager Governance and Business Improvement and Senior Executive Responsible for Business Integrity Risk (SERBIR)
  • naveen.wijemanne@act.gov.au
• Katie Dunn, Chief Human Resources Officer
  • katie.dunn@act.gov.au

A person who acts honestly and reasonably in making a disclosure will be protected and treated respectfully.

Further information on the PID Act, and how to report suspected wrongdoing in the ACT Government, is available from the ACT Integrity Commission.

Privacy policy

Our privacy policy sets out how we manage the personal information we collect.

Read our privacy policy.