Anti-corruption commissions: roles, powers, accountability and effectiveness

Associate Professor Yee-Fui Ng
ANZSOG Academic Fellow | Monash University

With the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission in 2023, Australia now has anti-corruption commissions operating across every level of government.

Associate Professor Yee-Fui Ng’s insights paper and full report examine the roles, powers, accountability mechanisms and effectiveness of these institutions, and explore how different legislative and institutional design choices influence their operation.

Drawing on interviews with 58 commissioners, inspectors, ombudsmen, parliamentarians, ministers and public sector leaders from across Australia, the research provides a comparative assessment of anti-corruption commissions and the factors that support their effectiveness.

The publications examine key questions about investigative powers, public reporting, public hearings, institutional independence, oversight arrangements and performance measurement. They also consider how anti-corruption commissions contribute to corruption prevention, education and broader integrity systems across government.

The research identifies broad support for strong and independent anti-corruption commissions while highlighting ongoing debates about accountability, oversight and institutional design. It proposes recommendations relating to powers, independence, parliamentary and inspector oversight, and performance frameworks to support the effectiveness of anti-corruption commissions and strengthen public confidence in government institutions.