About the Victorian Ombudsman
The Victorian Ombudsman is an independent officer of the Victorian Parliament who investigates complaints about state government departments, most statutory authorities and local government.
The Ombudsman is independent and impartial and provides a free service.
The Ombudsman is accountable to Parliament, rather than the government of the day, and can only be dismissed by Parliament.
The Ombudsman investigates complaints about administrative actions and decisions taken by government authorities and about the conduct or behaviour of their staff.
Complaints can be made to the Ombudsman by any member of the public: for example, there is no requirement that a complainant be a Victorian resident, an Australian citizen or over any particular age.
The Ombudsman's powers to conduct investigations are deliberately broad. Unlike specialist review tribunals or commissions, the Ombudsman reviews the lawfulness of agencies' actions or decisions, as well as the reasonableness and fairness of these actions in the circumstances.
The Ombudsman will not usually intervene until the aggrieved person has raised their concerns with the responsible government authority.
Ms Deborah Glass OBE
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The Victorian Ombudsman is Deborah Glass OBE. She was appointed in March 2014 for a term of 10 years.
Deborah was raised in Melbourne where she studied law at Monash University.
Deborah practiced law briefly in the city, before joining a US investment bank in Switzerland in 1985. She was appointed to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission at its inception in 1989, where she became Senior Director, instrumental in raising standards in the investment management industry.
Deborah moved to London in 1998 where she became the Chief Executive of the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation. In 2001, she joined the UK Police Complaints Authority, and in 2004 became a Commissioner with the new Independent Police Complaints Commission of England and Wales (IPCC).
She was the Commissioner responsible for London, and for many high profile criminal and misconduct investigations into police conduct. Deborah was appointed IPCC Deputy Chair in 2008, carrying operational responsibility for the IPCC's regional Commissioners, and was awarded an OBE for her service in the New Year Honours List in 2012.
Deborah is committed to ensuring fair and reasonable decision making in the Victorian public sector, and to improving public administration. She holds a firm belief in public sector integrity and the protection of human rights.