External Oversight of Complaints Against Police in Australia: A Cross-Jurisdictional Comparison

The Australian Law Reform Commission (Al.RC) Report, Complaints Against Police, published in 1975 recommended, amongst other things, that an 'independent element be introduced into the investigation and determination of complaints against members of the Australia Police' (ALRC 1975:71).

The ALRC Report formally placed the police complaints process onto the political agenda.1 By 1985, all governments in Australia had established bodies to provide for some form of external civilian oversight of complaints against police. This paper describes and compares the key features of these various bodies.