Complaints and feedback
Complaints
The OPP has obligations towards victims of crime under the Victims’ Charter Act 2006 (see sections 19A and 19B) and must, as soon as reasonably practicable, inform victims about:
- the OPP complaint process; and
- the victim’s right to contact the Victims of Crime Commissioner if they made a complaint to the OPP and are dissatisfied with the OPP’s response.
A person adversely affected by crime is able to make a complaint to the OPP under the Victims’ Charter Act 2006 (see section 19) if they believe that the OPP has failed to uphold a Victims’ Charter principle, for example, they have not been treated respectfully, they have not been given specific information, or they were not referred to a victims’ service agency. If a person adversely affected by crime expresses dissatisfaction with their experience of the OPP’s compliance with the Victims’ Charter principles, the OPP must provide them with information on how to make a complaint and details of the complaint process. Â
Any person directly affected by an act, omission, or a decision of the OPP may make a formal complaint. This includes:
- victims of crime
- family members of victims of crime
- witnesses
- defence solicitors
- barristers
- investigative agencies such as Victoria Police
- the courts
- accused persons
- family members of accused persons.
If you wish to make a complaint about the behaviour or conduct of an OPP employee please scroll to the ‘Complaints about sexual harassment and conduct’ section of this page.
How to make a complaint to the OPP
If you would like to raise an issue about a prosecution, your first step should be to contact the prosecuting OPP solicitor. It may be possible for the OPP solicitor to resolve your issue quickly.
If the OPP solicitor is unable to resolve your issue, you can make a formal complaint. You can use the online form below, or you can contact us by post, phone or email. Our details are listed below.
We will deal promptly with any complaints we receive.
By post
Office of Public Prosecutions
PO Box 13085
Melbourne VIC 8010 (postal address)
Street address
Office of Public Prosecutions
565 Lonsdale St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone
03 9603 7666 (dial 99 from State Government network)
Email
info@opp.vic.gov.au
After we receive your complaint
After we receive your complaint, a senior solicitor will contact you within 10 days.
The senior solicitor will review the complaint and respond in a way that is fair, practical, and proportionate to the seriousness of the issue. The senior solicitor may ask the prosecuting solicitor, or other relevant people involved in the case, for background information.
You will receive a response with the outcome of the complaint within 28 days of the date of the complaint. This is called a letter of determination.
If the complaint is complex or if further investigation is needed, the senior solicitor will contact you to let you know an expected timeframe for a response.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can request a review of the initial determination using the online form below.
You have 60 days after you are notified of the outcome of your complaint to request a review.
The Executive Director of Legal Practice will acknowledge receipt of the request for review of the initial determination within 10 days.
The Executive Director will decide whether the outcome of the complaint was fair, practical, and proportionate to the seriousness of the issue.
You will be notified of the outcome of the review within 28 days of the date of your request for the review.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the review
If you have made a complaint as a victim or family member of a victim, and you are not satisfied with the outcome of the review, you may contact the Victims of Crime Commissioner via this link.
Treating your complaint privately and confidentially
The OPP takes privacy and confidentiality seriously. We will only use the information you provide us to deal with the complaint, or to address any systemic issues arising from the complaint.
We will manage the information in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 and only share the information with OPP staff on a ‘need to know’ basis.
Anonymous complaints
You can make an anonymous complaint, however we will need an address or email address and a phone number to respond to your complaint.
Complaints about sexual harassment and conduct
The OPP is committed to a workplace which is free from sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination.
If you wish to make a complaint about the conduct or behaviour of an OPP employee you can do so using this online form:
Your complaint will be forwarded to the Executive Director Corporate Services and Manager Human Resources. They will:
- acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 7 days after receiving your complaint
- contact you to confirm the next step or an expected timeframe for the next step within 14 days after receiving your complaint.
The OPP will:
- deal promptly and sensitively with any complaints that we receive
- take into account the views of the complainant.
If necessary, the OPP may initiate its own investigation.
How to provide feedback to the OPP
You can provide feedback directly to the OPP solicitor or VWAS social worker allocated to your case.
You can also provide feedback via email to info@opp.vic.gov.au.
We value your suggestions and comments about how we have engaged with you during the prosecution process. If you have feedback about the OPP, we would like to hear it. Feedback helps us identify best practice and improve our service.
Requesting reasons for a prosecution decision
The OPP must provide victims with reasons for any decision to:
- substantially change the charges
- discontinue a prosecution
- accept a plea of guilty to a lesser charge.
Victims may also request reasons for other types of prosecution decisions.
Witnesses and other persons with a legitimate interest in a case may also ask the DPP for the reasons behind a prosecution decision, for example:
- Why was a case discontinued?
- Why was a case resolved a certain way?
- Why the DPP decided not to appeal against a sentence?
A request for reasons may be declined in some cases, for example if giving reasons would prejudice a court case.
Requests for reasons can be emailed to info@opp.vic.gov.au or posted to:
Manager
Policy and Specialised Legal Division
Office of Public Prosecutions
PO Box 13085
Melbourne
VIC 8010