OPCAT Advisory Group (OAG)
While the Office’s independence is key to its monitoring functions under OPCAT, we value the role of civil society in informing our approach.
In early 2020, the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman established a civil society advisory group, the OPCAT Advisory Group (OAG), to provide expert advice and guidance to the Office about its functions and responsibilities as the Commonwealth NPM and the NPM Coordinator.
The OAG is chaired by the Commonwealth Ombudsman and currently comprises the following members:
- Mr Paris Aristotle AO – CEO, Foundation House
- Ms Nicole Batch – Head of Migration Development, Australian Red Cross
- Dr Eddie Cubillo – descendant of the Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrernte peoples; lawyer and legal academic
- Dr Lorraine Finlay – Human Rights Commissioner
- Ms Carolyn Frohmader AO – human rights advisor
- Emeritus Professor Neil Morgan AM – former Inspector of Custodial Services (Western Australia)
- Emeritus Professor Bronwyn Naylor OAM – RMIT University; co-founder of the Australian OPCAT Network
- Ms Deb Tsorbaris – National Children's Commissioner
The Ombudsman may also invite – as guests or permanent members – representatives to advise on issues affecting different groups including children, people with disability, people of diverse gender and/or sexuality, and the elderly.
The OAG is governed by terms of reference.
OAG meetings
The Ombudsman convenes OAG meetings multiple times a year, and the OAG publishes a communiqué summarising its discussions after each meeting:
2026
2025
- OAG Communiqué No 3, 2025 - 20 November
- OAG Communiqué No 2, 2025 - 8 September
- OAG Communiqué No 1, 2025 - 29 May
2024
2023
2022
2021
- OAG Communiqué No 3, 2021 - 30 November
- OAG Communiqué No 2, 2021 - 28 July
- OAG Communiqué No 1, 2021 - 21 April
The Ombudsman also consults other civil society stakeholders and continues to build and maintain ongoing dialogue with a wide variety of interested representatives from civil society beyond the OAG.