The Act inserts new provisions establishing the Commissioner into the Armed Forces Act 2006 (AFA 2006).
	Part 14A of the AFA 2006 sets out the Service Complaints system for the Armed Forces. The current service complaints system has been in place since 2008 and was subject to amendment by the Armed Forces (Service Complaints and Financial Assistance) Act 2015. The system provides a means for persons subject to service law to obtain redress where they think themselves wronged in any matter relating to their service (see section 340A of the AFA 2006). The system is currently overseen by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces established under section 365B of the AFA 2006. This Act abolishes the office of the Service Complaints Ombudsman and transfers all related functions to the Commissioner. In addition to the minor consequential amendments required to effect this change, this Act only makes one further technical amendment to the procedure for making a service complaint under section 340B of the AFA 2006. Otherwise, this Act makes no changes to the existing system.
Legal background