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History

In the late 1980s, community concern about integrity in the NSW public sector reached new heights due to exposure of corruption among government ministers, within the judiciary and at senior levels of the police force.

Responding to this concern, the then NSW Opposition pledged to establish an anti-corruption agency with powers similar to that of a royal commission. They fulfilled the pledge as the NSW Government in July 1988 when the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 was passed following extensive parliamentary debate. The Independent Commission Against Corruption was then established in March 1989 as an independent organisation monitored by a parliamentary committee. The Premier told Parliament that the measure of the ICAC's success would be the enhancement of integrity and the restoration of community confidence in public administration.

Current Commissioners

Commissioners must be qualified to be appointed, or have been appointed, a judge of the Supreme Court of NSW or another state or territory, or the Federal Court or the High Court of Australia.

From 7 August 2017, a new model was enacted comprising a Chief Commissioner and two part-time Commissioners. They are each appointed for a term of five (5) years.

The current Chief Commissioner is the Hon John Hatzistergos AM (7 August 2022 to 6 August 2027). The current part-time Commissioners are the Hon Helen Murrell SC (7 August 2022 to 6 August 2027) and the Hon Paul Lakatos SC (12 September 2022 to 11 September 2027).

Chief Commissioner The Hon John Hatzistergos AM
Part-time Commissioner The Hon Helen Murrell SC
Part-time Commissioner
The Hon Paul Lakatos SC

 

Previous Commissioners

 The Hon Peter Hall KC Chief Commissioner 7 August 2017 to 6 August 2022
 Patricia McDonald SC Part-time Commissioner 7 August 2017 to 6 August 2022
 Stephen Rushton SC Part-time Commissioner 7 August 2017 to 6 August 2022
The Hon Megan Latham Commissioner 28 January 2014 to 30 November 2016
The Hon David Ipp AO QC Commissioner 14 November 2009 to 24 January 2014
The Hon Jerrold Cripps QC Commissioner 14 November 2004 to 13 November 2009
Irene Moss AO Commissioner 14 November 1999 to 13 November 2004
The Hon Barry O'Keefe AM QC Commissioner 14 November 1994 to 13 November 1999
Ian Temby QC Commissioner 13 March 1989 to 12 March 1994