The Victorian Freedom of Information Act 1982 gives you the right to request documents held by the department.
The Act gives you the right to:
- request documents about your personal affairs and the activities of the department
- request that incorrect or misleading information held by the department about you be amended or removed.
To request access to documents held by the Department of Justice and Community Safety, contact the department's Freedom of Information Unit or make a request online (External link)
Statutory agencies within the department's portfolio – for example the Office of Public Prosecutions, Victoria Legal Aid and Victoria Police – process their own requests. To request access to documents held by these agencies, contact them directly. Contact details are available on the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner's website (External link)
Not all statutory agencies are covered by freedom of information law. The department's agencies that do accept FOI requests are listed below.
Statutory agencies that accept FOI requests
- Appeal Costs Board
- Board of Examiners
- Commissioner for Privacy and Data Protection
- Council of Legal Education
- Country Fire Authority
- Court Services Victoria
- Electoral Boundaries Commission
- Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority
- Fire Services Levy Monitor
- Firearms Appeals Committee
- Greyhound Racing Victoria
- Harness Racing Victoria
- Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission
- Judicial College of Victoria
- Legal Practitioners' Liability Committee
- Legal Services Board
- Legal Services Commissioner
- Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Appeals Commission
- Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board
- Office of Public Prosecutions
- Office of the Racing Integrity Commissioner
- Office of the Road Safety Camera Commissioner
- Racing Victoria Limited
- Residential Tenancies Bond Authority
- Sentencing Advisory Council
- Victoria Legal Aid
- Victoria Police
- Victoria State Emergency Service
- Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation
- Victorian Electoral Commission
- Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission
- Victorian Government Solicitor
- Victorian Inspectorate
- Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
- Victorian Law Reform Commission
- Victorian Professional Standards Council
- Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation
Victoria's Freedom of Information (FOI) Commissioner is an independent officer who reviews FOI decisions, handles FOI complaints, monitors compliance with the Act, and provides advice and education to the public and agencies. To find out more about FOI reviews and complaints, visit the Commissioner's website (External link)