Complaints

Your complaints help keep Victoria’s courts safe and respectful for everyone. We can look into complaints about Victorian Judicial Officers and VCAT members conduct (how they behaved), or capacity (their ability to perform their role).

Courtroom

  1. How to make a complaint

  2. Common questions about making a complaint

  3. What we can investigate

  4. Possible next steps

  5. More information about the complaints process

  6. Our role in the complaints process

How to make a complaint

1

Check if we can investigate your complaint

Answer a few quick questions to check whether we can investigate, or find out who might be better placed to help.

2

Gather the information you need

Prepare details to help you fill out your complaint, like the name of the person you’re complaining about, and any relevant dates.

3

Complete your complaint in the secure portal

Provide a summary of what happened, including specific examples, and submit your formal complaint in our secure complaints portal.

Common questions about making a complaint

What we can investigate

Who we can look into

We can look into current Victorian judicial officers and Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal members. Judicial officers is a name for people in the following roles:

  • Judge
  • Magistrate
  • Coroner
  • Judicial registrar
What we can look into

Complaints about the conduct (how they behaved), or capacity (their 
ability to perform their role).

  • Conduct includes behaviour, like how they acted, what they said, 
    and the way they said it.
  • Capacity is about whether they can perform their role properly. e.g. 
    if they have a physical or mental health condition or personality trait 
    that affects their work.
Who we cannot look into

We cannot look into anyone who is not a Victorian judicial officer or 
VCAT member, including:

  • Lawyers
  • Court security
  • Court staff
  • A non-judicial registrars
  • Police
  • State government
  • Government organisations
  • Former judicial officers or VCAT members
What we cannot look into

We cannot look into complaints about:

  • A decision made by a judicial officer or VCAT member.
  • Legal advice.
  • Judicial processes, or the way an officer has applied the law.
  • Administrative court processes.

Possible next steps

We dismiss your complaint

We may dismiss your complaint for a few reasons, for example:

  • It is not in our jurisdiction to investigate.
  • The judicial officer or VCAT member’s conduct was within reason.
  • It cannot be supported or substantiated by the relevant material.

We refer your complaint to the head of the relevant jurisdiction

If your complaint that a judicial officer or VCAT member has not met the standards expected of them, we  will refer it to the person in charge of the relevant court or tribunal. This person is 
called the head of jurisdiction. This can be with recommendations about the future conduct of the officer. They will decide what action to take next.

We refer your complaint to an independent investigating panel 

If your complaint is found to be so serious that, if substantiated, it could warrant the removal of the officer from their position, we may refer it to an independent investigating panel.

  • They may dismiss your complaint.
  • They may refer it to the relevant head of jurisdiction with recommendations about the future conduct of the officer.
  • In extreme circumstances, they may draft a report recommending that the judicial officer or VCAT member is removed from office. 

More information about the complaints process

Our role in the complaints process

1

We start with a preliminary 
investigation. This may 
involve looking over court 
transcripts, recordings and 
other relevant material.

2

If necessary, we will seek a  
response to the complaint  
from the judicial officer or 
VCAT member.

3

What we do next with your 
complaint depends on the 
details involved, and how 
serious it is.