On the text of the Ombudsman Act 1976:
- There is no parliamentary committee with the job of overseeing the Ombudsman.
- There is no clause requiring the Act, or the Office, to be reviewed.
- There is no objects clause saying what the Ombudsman's main jurisdiction is for.
- A person whose complaint is declined has no right of appeal under the Act. They are owed the decision and the reasons.
- The Ombudsman is appointed by the Governor-General for up to seven years. The Act sets no selection criteria.
The Office appears at Senate estimates and is subject to audit. One Auditor-General performance audit of its complaint handling was found, from 2021-22.
In practice, the main check on the Ombudsman's use of its discretion is the Ombudsman's own annual report.
Sources: Ombudsman Act 1976 (Cth) ss 12, 21, 22; Auditor-General Report No. 41 2021-22.