Corporate matters usually arrive as a question that cannot be asked internally. Whether a supplier relationship is what it appears to be. Whether a departing executive took more than their belongings. Whether a partner is trading against the business. The common thread is that asking the question inside the organisation would itself cause damage.
We provide business investigations in Canberra and throughout the Australian Capital Territory, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run business investigations in Canberra
We scope tightly, because corporate investigations that sprawl become expensive without becoming conclusive. Due diligence on counterparties, examination of internal fraud and conflicts of interest, intellectual property and confidential information matters, and compliance investigations. Where employees are involved the workplace rules of the relevant jurisdiction apply in full, and we settle that position before beginning rather than discovering it afterwards.
What the Australian Capital Territory law means for this work
Investigation work is not among the security activities licensed under section 7 of the ACT’s Security Industry Act 2003. The more useful question in Canberra is what licence an operator holds for work that crosses into New South Wales, because a great deal of it does. Queanbeyan is about fifteen minutes from the CBD and it is New South Wales, where a Class 2E licence under the Security Industry Act 1997 is required.
This is where the ACT is stricter than most states. The Workplace Privacy Act 2011 covers optical, data and tracking surveillance where an employer surveils workers. Section 13 requires fourteen days written notice, section 17 requires visible notice on tracked vehicles, section 41 prohibits surveillance in toilets, change rooms and similar areas, and sections 26 to 28 require a covert surveillance authority from the ACT Magistrates Court before any covert workplace surveillance. Section 35 makes doing it without that authority an offence.
The Listening Devices Act 1992 applies. Section 4 makes it an offence to listen to or record a private conversation you are not a party to, and also restricts a party recording their own conversation, subject to consent and lawful interests exceptions. Maximum 50 penalty units.
None of that is a formality. The rules differ genuinely between Australian jurisdictions, and evidence gathered outside them is frequently inadmissible and can expose the person who gathered it. Working inside the ACT framework is what makes the result usable.
The federal statutory tort of serious invasion of privacy, which commenced on 10 June 2025 under Schedule 2 of the Privacy Act 1988, applies on top of ACT law and contains no exemption for private investigators.
This is general information about how we operate, not legal advice. For advice on your circumstances, speak with your lawyer.
What you receive
You receive findings written for a board or a general counsel, with the evidence for each conclusion identified and the limits of the enquiry stated. Where a matter needs to move to litigation or to a regulator, the material is already in a form that supports it.
Where we work in the Australian Capital Territory
Canberra has no local government and is organised into districts built around town centres, which is how work here is best planned. Inner North covers Civic, Braddon, Turner, O’Connor, Lyneham, Dickson, Watson, Ainslie and Campbell. Inner South covers Kingston, Barton, Forrest, Griffith, Manuka, Narrabundah, Red Hill, Deakin and Yarralumla. Belconnen, Gungahlin, Woden Valley, Weston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Tuggeranong each operate as their own centre. We also work the surrounding New South Wales communities that function as part of the Canberra region, including Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Googong, Bungendore, Murrumbateman and Yass.
Where the evidence ends up
- ACT Magistrates Court. Civil claims from $25,000 to $250,000, summary crime, and specialist jurisdictions including the Coroners, Childrens, Industrial and Family Violence Courts. It is also the court that issues covert workplace surveillance authorities.
- ACT Supreme Court. Serious indictable crime, civil work generally above $250,000, and the Court of Appeal.
- ACAT. Civil disputes under $25,000, administrative review, tenancy, guardianship and occupational discipline.
- Note that the ACT has no intermediate court. Where other states have a District or County Court, the ACT has only two tiers.
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Family law is federal, so a family matter runs under Commonwealth law even though the conduct investigated is governed by ACT rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can you investigate without staff knowing?
Frequently yes for counterparty and external matters. Where the subject is an employee, the position depends on the jurisdiction and can require a court authority before covert steps are taken. We establish that at the outset.
How do we keep this contained?
Narrow scope, a single point of contact, and reporting arrangements agreed in advance. Most leaks in corporate investigations come from the client side rather than the investigator, so containment is designed at the start.
Do you cover regional the Australian Capital Territory as well as Canberra?
Yes. Canberra work can generally be mobilised faster and at lower cost. Regional work carries travel time and expense, and we will tell you honestly whether the likely result justifies it before you commit.
Talk to us about a ACT matter
Every enquiry starts with a confidential conversation about what you actually need, and sometimes that conversation ends with us saying an investigation is not warranted. Call 1300 792 283 or get in touch for a free consultation and a written quote before any work begins.
See also Business Investigations in Melbourne, our the Australian Capital Territory coverage and our Canberra page.