How we assess complaints

The CCC assesses every complaint it receives to decide how serious it is, whether it warrants investigation, how quickly it must be actioned and who is best placed to investigate it.

We determine whether the complaint:

• appears to be genuine, and made in good faith
• is within our jurisdiction (that is, whether we have authority to deal with it).

If necessary, we will obtain further information to enable us to decide the best course of action.

Possible courses of action

Based on the assessment, the CCC may decide to:

• take no further action (see below)
• investigate the complaint ourselves
• refer the complaint to an agency to deal with, subject to our oversight
• conduct a joint investigation with the agency
• refer possible criminal activity to the police.

Decision to take no further action about a complaint

The CCC will take no further action about a complaint if:

• we do not have authority to deal with it
• it is frivolous, vexatious or malicious and is not made in good faith
• it lacks substance or credibility
• it has previously been dealt with by us or by another agency
• the use of public resources to deal with the matter further cannot be justified.