Introducing IBAC Deputy Commissioner Colleen Bell

In mid-May, IBAC welcomed Colleen Bell as our new Deputy Commissioner.

With more than 20 years’ experience working across several of Victoria’s court jurisdictions, Colleen is a skilled criminal lawyer with background in and outside of the public sector; from the Office of Public Prosecutions and Supreme Court of Victoria to roles in commercial law.

Colleen joins us from the Adult Parole Board where she sat as a full-time member across all divisions of the board, including the General Offender Division, the Serious Violent Offenders and Sexual Offenders Division, the Time to Count Division, the Review Board and Interview Board.

With a breadth of experience Colleen will bring her impressive credentials to her role as Deputy Commissioner, focusing on public sector.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 0:35 Deputy Commissioner Colleen Bell's career journey
• 2:31 What interested Colleen in a Deputy Commissioner role with IBAC
• 3:55 What is involved in Colleen's role as Deputy Commissioner
• 5:18 Colleen's goals as Deputy Commissioner
• 5:40 Colleen's message to the community about IBAC's work
• 6:19 Conclusion and further information

Transcript

Meg:                Hello and welcome to the latest IBAC podcast. 

IBAC is Victoria’s anti-corruption agency, and our role is to expose and prevent public sector corruption and police misconduct.

My name is Meg Gillespie, from IBAC’s communication team – today I’ll be speaking with IBAC’s newest Deputy Commissioner, Colleen Bell.

Colleen joined IBAC in May this year, Colleen welcome to IBAC and to the podcast.

Colleen:           Thanks very much for having me Meg.

Meg:          Now you have a strong background in law and justice, throughout your whole career but notably in your recent role with the Adult Parole Board, could you tell us a bit about your career journey?

Colleen:     Well Meg I am a criminal lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience working across several of Victoria’s jurisdictions both pre- and post-sentence.  

So I initially trained in commercial law, but when the opportunity came up to work with the first female Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, I was quick to jump ship. 

I spent two years at the Supreme Court, with the Honourable Justice Rosemary Balmford and later the Honourable Justice Katherine Williams.  

I cannot overstate the value of having two such inspiring women in law as my mentors. I learnt so much from them, including how to successfully balance a fulfilling law career with family.

My time at the Court confirmed my interest in criminal law. I went on to practice as a solicitor at the Office of Public Prosecutions, first in General Prosecutions and later in the Organised Crime Unit, during the time of Melbourne’s gangland wars. 

In 2010 I was asked to head up a new unit overseeing the Director’s new powers in respect of civil detention orders.

I was also appointed as the Director’s representative on the Detention and Supervision Order Review Board.    

In 2017 I was appointed as a Full Time Member of the Adult Parole Board. And at the board, I worked across all divisions including the General Offenders division and serious violent offender and sexual offenders division, the interview board and the review board just to name a few. 

One of my greatest privileges was the opportunity to sit on the Victims of Crime Consultative Committee, working alongside victims of crime and representatives from other jurisdictions and agencies, all focussed on improving the experience of victims of crime.  

Meg:          That is an impressive resume, and no doubt some vital work for the community. What then interested you in a Deputy Commissioner role here at IBAC?

Colleen:     Well I’ve worked in State government for over 20 years and I’ve always been passionate about serving the Victorian community.

The Deputy Commissioner role allows me to draw my experience in criminal law, law enforcement and administrative decision-making, while serving the state of Victoria by holding public office holders to account.  

In my previous role at the Adult Parole Board, our key focus was the safety and protection of the community. 

IBAC allows me to continue making a valuable contribution to the safety and protection of Victorians through preventing, investigating and exposing public sector corruption and police misconduct in Victoria. 

I was also drawn to IBAC’s education and prevention functions.

To identify risks and develop prevention strategies is an exciting opportunity, especially having come from a post-sentence jurisdiction where the crime has already been committed.   

I am privileged to now have the opportunity to continue my work on improving the experience of complainants, who have bravely come forward to report alleged corrupt conduct or police misconduct in Victoria. 

Meg:                It’s all very important work. So tell us about your role as a Deputy Commissioner with IBAC?

Colleen:     As a Deputy Commissioner I will assist the Commissioner in fulfilling the legislated functions and powers of IBAC, particularly as they relate to the Victorian public sector and local government.  

A key aspect of my role will be to make decisions about complaints and notifications received by IBAC, as well as making decisions about the use of coercive powers under the IBAC Act.  

My role will be specifically focussed on Victoria’s Public Sector, which incorporates state and local government departments and agencies, schools, hospitals, Victorian Parliament and the judiciary.   

I am particularly excited to join IBAC at this time. The Executive is a strong leadership team, and we have a clear vision and mission.

We want to strengthen Victoria’s integrity and build community confidence in IBAC, as an independent and responsive anti-corruption and police oversight agency.  

There is also a strong culture of collaboration and innovation within the organisation, which really nicely aligns with the way I work.  

I also look forward to working closely with other integrity agencies, to ensure that Victoria’ integrity system operates effectively.

Meg:                And what are your goals as Deputy Commissioner?

Colleen:           As Deputy Commissioner, I’ll be focused on integrity in decision-making. 

Fulfilling IBAC’s role within Victoria’s broader integrity system is a collaborative effort.  

So, I am particularly keen to build positive relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external. 

Meg:                Absolutely. Now if there was one thing you’d like the community to know about IBAC and your role here, what would that be?

Colleen:     IBAC is one of the only integrity agencies in Australia to oversee both the public sector and police, which carries a significant responsibility to the community.  

IBAC officers are exceptionally skilled and experienced and are deeply committed to IBAC’s work.  

If you have concerns that corruption or misconduct may have occurred or still is occurring, I’d encourage you to check the resources on our website, and make a report.

If you are ready to speak up, IBAC is here to listen.

Meg:                Thank you very much Colleen, it’s been great to chat with you – and thank you to everyone for listening.

If you’re interested in keeping up to date with the work of Colleen and the whole IBAC team – you can subscribe to IBAC Insights, our online newsletter, by going to our website.

In this newsletter you’ll find the latest news and events, a heads up on new reports, expert commentary, early research findings and information on conferences and events.

Or you can find more information on investigations, special reports, data, research, corruption prevention resources and more by visiting ibac.vic.gov.au.