ACFID members agree to be bound by the independent, accessible, fair and confidential Code complaints handling process:
- Members must comply with the complaints process as set out in the Good Practice Toolkit.
- Members must comply with Code of Conduct Committee’s (the Committee) requests for information within set time frames.
- Where a breach of the ACFID Code of Conduct (Code) is confirmed, members will work with the Committee to ensure compliance with the corrective or disciplinary actions that have been determined by the Committee.
This complaint-handling process is essential to the external credibility of any self-regulatory code of practice. The Committee provides an independent mechanism to address a complaint made against an ACFID member which is believed to have breached the Code.
Note that these are not court processes, and while principles of natural justice will be followed, no party has the right to make oral submissions, to a hearing, or to legal representation, nor do the rules of evidence apply.
ACFID's members are required, as part of their compliance with the Code, to have a public complaints mechanism on their website, supported by an effective complaints handling process. This is outlined in the Code of Conduct at Compliance Indicator 7.3.3 (“Members enable stakeholders to make complaints to the organisation in a safe and confidential manner”).
The Code’s complaints-handling mechanism relies firstly on the ACFID member being given the opportunity to receive and manage a complaint in line with their complaints handling processes. The Code’s complaints handling process can be used as an appeal process, should the outcome or process be unsatisfactory.
Here is some guidance as to how the Committee will approach different aspects of the complaints process: