In 2019 the WA Government designated the Inspector as a National Preventive Mechanism under the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) for justice-related places of detention. That would add about 156 police lock-ups to its jurisdiction.
The 2023-24 and 2024-25 annual reports both say the work cannot start without legislation and funding. In 2024-25: "legislation, and resourcing to commence this work has not progressed." The 2026-27 State Budget repeats that the nomination "will extend the Office's jurisdiction and workload to include police lockups". It allocates nothing for it. The current version of the Act dates from May 2016. The delay belongs to government.
Sources: OICS, What we do (oics.wa.gov.au, updated 28 August 2026); Annual Report 2023-24 p 39; Annual Report 2024-25 pp 8, 24; Budget Statements 2026-27 p 466; legislation.wa.gov.au, Inspector of Custodial Services Act 2003 versions list.