Governing legislation

The Ombudsman is empowered by the following legislation (available in full from the Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents website).

Act	Responsible Minister	Effect
Ombudsman Act 1973	Premier	Provides for the appointment of an Ombudsman and details the Ombudsman's role and functions in relation to the investigation of complaints.
Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001	Attorney-General	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate disclosures of improper conduct by public bodies and public officers, including members of Parliament and municipal councillors.
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006	Attorney-General	Amended the Ombudsman Act. Power to investigate whether any administrative action is incompatible with the human rights set out in the Charter. Jurisdiction includes Ministers and municipal councillors.
Accident Compensation Act 1985	Assistant Treasurer	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate: authorised agents of the Victorian WorkCover Authority self-insurers delegates of the Victorian WorkCover Authority.
Children, Youth and Families Act 2005	Minister for Community Services and Attorney-General	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate: a range of registered community services whose function is to support children, youth and families certain authorised persons authorised assessors authorised investigators.
Freedom of Information Act 1982	Attorney-General	Enables the community to access information in the possession of government agencies and provides the Ombudsman with specific powers in relation to the investigation of Freedom of Information complaints and other functions.
Corrections Act 1986	Minister for Corrections	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate the actions of contractors managing prisons or police gaols.
Disability Act 2006	Minister for Community Services	Enables the Community Visitors Board to refer certain matters to the Ombudsman to be dealt with.
Information Privacy Act 2000	Attorney-General	Enables the Information Privacy Commissioner to refer certain matters to the Ombudsman to be dealt with.
Terrorism (Community Protection) Act 2003	Attorney-General	Requires that the Ombudsman be notified in relation to preventative detention orders and prohibited contact orders, and allows the Ombudsman to make representations to relation to prisoners held under those orders.
Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983	Minister for Public Transport	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate the actions of authorised officers (ticket inspectors) in exercising statutory duties in the detection of offences. Enables the Ombudsman to investigate the actions of relevant Transport Safety Officers in relation to compliance and enforcement functions and safety audits.
Court Security Act 1980	Attorney-General	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate complaints regarding the actions of a contractor in its capacity as a provider of court security.
Plant Health and Plant Products Act 1995	Minister for Agriculture and Food Security	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate the approved inspection service in its capacity of a provider of services in accordance with an agreement under section 51B.
Health Services Act 1988	Minister for Health	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate the actions of a contractor or a sub-contractor, in its capacity as a provider of health services, to public hospital patients at the hospital in accordance with an agreement under section 69B(1).
Magistrates' Court Act 1989	Attorney-General	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate complaints regarding the actions of a contractor or a sub-contractor in its capacity as a provider of services under an agreement under section 24B(1) or a sub-contract agreement under the Act.
Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008	Minister for Health	Empowers the Ombudsman to investigate complaints regarding the actions of authorised officers under the Act.
Melbourne City Link Act 1995	Minister for Roads	Empowers the Ombudsman to receive restricted tolling information in order to fulfil his functions in respect to the disclosure and use of restricted tolling information by members of Victoria Police.