The Directorate is responsible for developing policy and legislation across the justice and community safety portfolio. The Directorate works to ensure that ACT laws meet the needs of our changing society. It aims to:

• progressively reform the crime law to enhance the protection of people, property and society
• continue to reform civil laws and provide improved regulatory systems
• ensure that legislative programme reforms meet national and international commitments.

Access to ACT legislation is available via the Legislation Register.

Laws for which the Director General of the Directorate has administrative responsibility are listed in the Administrative Arrangements.

The Directorate advises the Attorney-General about, and develops changes to, criminal and civil laws in the ACT.  The range of law covered is very broad and encompasses such matters as:

• civil wrongs
• classification and censorship of publications
• emergency services
• evidence
• fair trading
• discrimination
• human rights
• police powers
• privacy, family and relationship issues
• property law (including trusts)
• sentence administration
• testamentary law (including wills)

The Directorate provides advice about the ACT justice framework (courts and tribunals), governance and the constitutional status and operation of the ACT.  It is responsible for the regulation of cooperatives, trustee companies, justices of the peace and mediators. It has general policy oversight of the provision of legal services and the governance and regulation of the ACT legal profession.