What it does
The Corruption, Crime and Misconduct Act 2003 (the Act) establishes a permanent independent body known as the Corruption and Crime Commission (the Commission) with a suite of functions directed at combating organised crime, investigating and preventing serious misconduct in the public sector, and supporting the exercise of powers under the Criminal Property Confiscation Act 2000 (see long title and ss.7A-7B). At its core, the Act bifurcates the handling of misconduct: the Commission exercises the "serious misconduct function" under s.18, which encompasses receiving allegations (s.24), assessing them (s.22 and s.32), investigating (including through examinations under Part 7), monitoring appropriate authorities (s.40), reviewing their handling (s.41), and issuing recommendations (s.43). Serious misconduct is exhaustively defined in s.4 as corrupt acts, taking improper advantage of office, indictable offences committed in official capacity, or conduct adversely affecting honest performance that could ground termination (with police misconduct expressly included).
Concurrently, the Public Sector Commissioner is conferred the "minor misconduct function" under s.45B (inserted by the 2014 amendments), mirroring aspects of the Commission's role but limited to less grave matters (defined in s.3(1) by exclusion of police misconduct, parliamentary conduct, or local government member conduct). This includes prevention and education (s.45A), assessments (s.45C), notifications (s.45H), inquiries (s.45Q), referrals (ss.45R-45T), and recommendations (s.45X). The Act explicitly preserves other lawful disciplinary action (s.44 for serious; s.45Y for minor).
For organised crime, Part 4 confers "exceptional powers" once the Commission makes a finding under s.46 on application by the Commissioner of Police. These include summoning witnesses for examination (s.48), enhanced search and seizure without warrant (ss.52-55), assumed identities (ss.60-62, cross-referencing Part 6 Div 3), controlled operations and integrity testing (ss.64-66, cross-referencing Part 6 Div 4), and fortification removal notices (ss.68-80, with judicial review under s.76). The Commission also exercises unexplained wealth functions under s.21AD, allowing investigations into unexplained wealth or criminal benefits (as defined by cross-reference to the ss.144-145) and use of Act powers to support confiscation proceedings.