BackThe Commonwealth Ombudsman is also the Defence Force Ombudsman (DFO), a function conferred to the office in 1983 to provide assurance of independence and integrity in the management of complaints about matters of administration within the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
From 1 December 2016, the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman started accepting reports of serious abuse in the ADF and will take appropriate action to respond.
While there are existing complaint mechanisms in the ADF, the DFO will provide an external avenue for people who may, for whatever reason, feel unable to report within ADF channels.
The DFO cannot override a decision of the ADF but it can resolve disputes through consultation and negotiation, and if necessary, by making formal recommendations to senior levels of Defence.
Source: Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman, Australia
