The Ombudsman
Chris Field is the Western Australian Ombudsman. He concurrently holds the role of Western Australian Energy Ombudsman and State Records Commissioner. Along with the Auditor General, Corruption and Crime Commissioner and the Public Sector Standards Commissioner, he is a member of the Integrity Coordinating Group and is the current Chair of the Group. He is also a member of the Executive of the Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association.
Chris is an Adjunct Professor in the Law Faculty of the University of Western Australia and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Law at La Trobe University. He is the author of a range of publications on law, economics, consumer policy, regulatory policy and public policy, including the university textbook, Current Issues in Consumer Law and Policy. He is also the 'Consumer Dealings' editor of the Australian Business Law Review.
Immediately prior to his appointment as Ombudsman, Chris was an inaugural Member of the Economic Regulation Authority, Western Australia. Whilst he was a Member of the Authority he also held the following positions: Professor at La Trobe University, Chair of the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, Director of the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria and Principal of Chris Field Consulting Pty Ltd.
Chris began his career as a lawyer at Arthur Robinson and Hedderwicks (now Allens Arthur Robinson). He was then employed as the Executive Director of the Consumer Law Centre Victoria for seven years and concurrently the Chairman of the Australian Consumers’ Association for four years.
He holds Arts and Law (Honours) degrees.
