Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force
IGADF
2003 – present
Office within Defence that provides oversight of the military justice system independent of the ordinary chain of command, conducting inquiries, audits and reviews and receiving complaints; it conducted the Afghanistan Inquiry whose report (the Brereton Report) was released in November 2020.
How it came into existence
Established within the Department of Defence in 2003, following parliamentary and internal reviews of the military justice system including the 2001 Burchett inquiry; later given a statutory basis in Part VIIIB of the Defence Act 1903.
- Review and oversight of military justice
Legislation: Defence Act 1903 (Part VIIIB); Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Regulation 2016
Changes during its life
- 2005Became a statutory office under Part VIIIB of the Defence Act 1903, inserted by the Defence Legislation Amendment Act 2005.
- 2016The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Regulation 2016 replaced the earlier inquiry regulations governing its inquiries.
Main functions
- Oversight and audit of the military justice system
- Inquiries into matters referred by the Chief of the Defence Force or the Minister
- Receiving submissions and complaints about military justice
- Inquiries into the deaths of ADF members
- Performance reviews of military justice processes
Where it sits
In the portfolio of Department of Defence.
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 11 December 2014 to the latest release (30 June 2026))
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.