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Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman and Police Integrity Commission

The Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman and Police Integrity Commission is a current joint statutory committee, established 4 Dec 1990, re-established 21 June 2007.

The Committee was established in 1990 by amendment to the Ombudsman Act 1974 to monitor and review the functions of the Ombudsman's Office. The Committee's jurisdiction was extended under the Police Integrity Commission Act 1996 to include oversight of the Police Integrity Commission and the Inspector to the PIC.

The functions of the Joint Committee are set out in Section 31B of the Ombudsman Act 1974 and Section 95 of the Police Integrity Act 1996 respectively. It should be noted in particular, that neither of these sections authorises the Joint Committee:
* to investigate a matter relating to particular conduct; or
* to reconsider a decision to investigate, not to investigate or to discontinue investigation of a particular complaint, a particular matter or particular conduct; or
* to reconsider the findings, recommendations, determinations or other decisions of the Commission or Ombudsman in relation to a particular investigation or complaint.

Inquiries

During the current parliament, the following inquiries have been undertaken by the committee:

Referred	Inquiry Name
	procedures for examining complaints against the Police Integrity Commission (Drafting Final Report)
	Ninth General Meeting with the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission (Completed)
	Fourteenth General Meeting with the NSW Ombudsman (Completed)
	Eighth General Meeting with the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission (Completed)
	Eleventh General Meeting with the Police Integrity Commission (Completed)
	Early Intervention Systems in the NSW Police Force (Completed)
	Fifteenth General Meeting with the NSW Ombudsman (Completed)
	Twelfth General Meeting with the Police Integrity Commission (Conducting Hearings)
	Tenth General Meeting with the Police Integrity Commission (Completed)
	Tenth General Meeting with the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission (Drafting Final Report)
	Sixteenth General Meeting with the NSW Ombudsman (Conducting Hearings)
03/07/2007	Statutory Review of the Community Services (Complaints, Reviews and Monitoring) Act 1993 (Completed)

Records of 21 earlier inquiries conducted by the committee are also available online.

Submissions Invited

The committee is not actively receiving submissions at present. Past submissions may be available under the relevant inquiry.

Reports and Government Responses

During the current parliament, the committee has or plans to table the following reports:

Report Date	Name of Report
08/09/2009	Fifteenth General Meeting with the NSW Ombudsman
08/09/2009	Eleventh General Meeting with the Police Integrity Commission
31/03/2009	Report on the Ninth General Meeting with the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission
31/03/2009	Report on an inquiry into early intervention systems in the NSW Police Force
24/06/2008	Statutory Review of the Community Services (Complaints, Reviews and Monitoring) Act 1993
24/06/2008	Tenth General Meeting with Police Integrity Commission
24/06/2008	Fourteenth General Meeting with the NSW Ombudsman
04/03/2008	Report on the Eighth General Meeting with the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission

(there are also 40 reports from past Parliaments).

Members

• Chair: The Hon. Kerry Hickey MP.
• Deputy Chair: Mr Paul Pearce MP.
• Mr Peter DRAPER (Ind, LA Member)
• The Hon. Kerry HICKEY (ALP, LA Member)
• Mr Malcolm KERR (Lib, LA Member)
• Mr Paul PEARCE (ALP, LA Member)
• Ms Sylvia HALE (The Greens, LC Member)
• The Hon. Charlie LYNN (Lib, LC Member)
• The Hon. Lynda VOLTZ (ALP, LC Member)

Contact

Role	Name	Phone	Fax	Email
Main Contact	Pru Sheaves	(02) 9230 2899	(02) 9230 3052	ombopic@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Committee Manager	Pru Sheaves	(02) 9230 2899		ombopic@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Senior Committee Officer
Research Officer	Jonathan Elliott	(02) 9230 2216		ombopic@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Committee Officer	Hilary Parker	(02) 9230 3051		ombopic@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Assistant Committee Officer	Nina Barrett	(02) 9230 2737		ombopic@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Postal Address

Parliament House, Macquarie Street, SYDNEY 2000

Terms of Reference Establishing Committee

See Ombudsman Act 1974, Part 4A, ss 31A-31J; Police Integrity Commission Act 1996, Part 7, ss 94 and 95. Legislative Assembly: Resolution passed 21 June 2007, Hansard, Legislative Assembly, 21 June 2007, page 1563. Legislative Council: Resolution passed 26 June 2007, Minutes No 13, Item 22, page 172

Resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly, Thursday 21 June 2007
Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman and the Police Integrity Commission

That:

(1) in accordance with section 31C (1) (b) of the Ombudsman Act 1974, the following members of the Legislative Assembly be appointed to serve on the Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman and the Police Integrity Commission: Mr Draper, Ms D’Amore, Mr Kerr and Mr Pearce;

(2) the committee have leave to make visits of inspection within the State of New South Wales and other States and Territories of Australia; and

(3) a message be sent acquainting the Legislative Council of the resolution and requesting the Legislative Council to appoint three of its members to serve on the committee.

Resolution passed by the Legislative Council ,Tuesday 26 June 2007
COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN AND THE POLICE INTEGRITY COMMISSION
Appointment and Membership

Motion by the Hon. Tony Kelly agreed to:

(1) That under section 31A of the Ombudsman Act 1974 a joint committee known as the Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman and the Police Integrity Commission be appointed.

(2) That under section 31C (1) (a) of the Act Ms Voltz, Mr Lynn and Ms Hale be appointed to serve on the committee as members of the Legislative Council.

Message forwarded to the Legislative Assembly advising it of the resolution.