Law, justice & securityAgencyExists today
Office of the Special Investigator
OSI
4 January 2021 – present
Executive agency that investigates, with the Australian Federal Police, possible criminal offences by Australian Defence Force members in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016, and prepares briefs of evidence for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
How it came into existence
Established on 4 January 2021 as an executive agency by order of the Governor-General under section 65 of the Public Service Act 1999, in response to the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force's Afghanistan Inquiry (the Brereton report) released in November 2020; the order named the Minister for Home Affairs as the responsible minister.
Changes during its life
- 2022Moved from the Home Affairs portfolio to the Attorney-General's portfolio after the change of government; it appeared at Attorney-General's portfolio Budget Estimates in November 2022.
Main functions
- Investigation of alleged war crimes in Afghanistan
- Joint investigations with the Australian Federal Police
- Preparation of briefs of evidence for prosecution
- Legal and investigative support for referrals to the CDPP
Where it sits
In the portfolio of Attorney-General's Department.
- Type of body
- Non-corporate Commonwealth entity
- Portfolio
- Attorney-General's
- Accountable authority
- Director-General – Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 schedule 1 item 18
- ABN
- 87 767 208 148
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- List of Commonwealth entities and companies under the PGPA Act, 1 July 2026 (Department of Finance)
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 31 March 2021 to the latest release (30 June 2026))