The ACT Integrity Commission (the Commission) is led by the Integrity Commissioner, The Hon Michael Adams KC.
The Commissioner is an independent officer of the ACT Legislative Assembly.
The Integrity Commission Act 2018 (the IC Act) is our guiding legislation.
Our purpose is to strengthen public confidence in the integrity of the ACT Government. We do this by investigating, exposing and preventing corruption. We investigate corruption allegations about current, or former, ACT public officials and entities. This can include private sector individuals and entities in some circumstances.
We administer both the IC Act and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012.
Role
We receive and assess allegations of corrupt conduct about the ACT public sector. We must prioritise investigating and exposing serious and systemic corrupt conduct (section 23 (2), IC Act).
If the allegation involves corruption or maladministration, we may investigate. We may also investigate conduct that poses a large and specific danger to public health, safety, or the environment. In some cases, we can refer the allegation to another agency for action.
We can also instigate an investigation into behaviour we identify as potentially corrupt.
Purpose
Our purpose is to:
- foster a 'speak-up' culture, where people feel comfortable reporting suspected corrupt conduct
- refer suspected criminal or misconduct cases to the appropriate authorities
- prevent corruption through research, and sharing mitigation strategies
- protect people who report to us and treat them with respect (Witness Wellbeing Policy)
- publish information about our investigations, including lessons learned
- provide education programs to ACT Government employees
- foster public confidence in the ACT Legislative Assembly and ACT public sector.
Functions
The Commission's main functions are to prevent, educate, investigate, and expose corruption.
Prevent | We work with the community and government to identify current and emerging risks to government integrity. We develop and implement strategies to strengthen resistance against corruption. We analyse data from our investigations to identify trends and recurring risks. We also propose mitigation methods. We create tools and resources to assist in recognising and preventing corruption. |
Educate | We deliver corruption awareness and prevention training programs for any ACT Government employee. This includes ACT public sector employees, Members of the Legislative Assembly and their staff, contractors, and volunteers. We create resources to help the ACT public sector and ACT community prevent and report corruption. |
Investigate | We investigate corruption allegations impartially, prioritising cases of serious and systemic corrupt conduct. We receive and assess allegations of corruption. We conduct preliminary inquiries and investigations, and refer matters to other entities as needed. |
Expose | We uncover corruption, share our insights, and publish our findings. We release reports detailing the outcomes of our investigations and identify corruption risks or matters of public interest. |
Values
The following values underpin the Commission's day-to-day work.
The Strategic Plan 2025-28 outlines our strategic approach to maturing the Commission’s operations to deliver on our priorities in a timely manner, and to further build confidence and trust with our key stakeholders and the Canberra community.