Lines, appointed Ombudsman in December 2014, said today that he had told the Governor of his intention to retire at the end of the year.

Lines said he wanted to spend more time caring for his wife who is seriously ill.

“For the past nine years, it has been my great honour to serve the South Australian public as Ombudsman, and I am enormously grateful to State Parliament for entrusting me with this important office,” he said in a statement.

“Sadly, my wife has become seriously ill, and I will be concluding my term at the end of this year to spend more time caring for her.”

Lines said he was announcing his retirement now so there is sufficient time for his replacement to be selected.

“This will ensure the position is not vacant for any longer than absolutely necessary, and that the office can continue its valuable role in our democracy,” he said.

Under the Ombudsman Act 1972, parliament is responsible for appointing a new state Ombudsman.

The appointment process will be referred to parliament’s Statutory Officers Committee.

Acting Premier Susan Close today thanked Lines for playing “a vital role in holding governments and public servants to account”.

“He has always carried out his work with the utmost professionalism, and has considered matters in an impartial and even-handed manner,” she said in a statement.

“It is a testament to his dedication that he will continue in the position until the end of the year, despite the tragic personal circumstances that have resulted in this decision.”

Lines, South Australia’s sixth Ombudsman, has been involved in numerous high-profile investigations into South Australia’s public service and political world.

In May 2022, he controversially cleared former Liberal Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman over a conflict of interest claim about her decision to veto a $40 million Kangaroo Island port

Months later, he questioned whether a parliamentary committee should have ordered him to investigate Chapman’s conduct and expressed concern that “there is a potential now for the Ombudsman to be weaponised”.

Lines has conducted several lengthy investigations into South Australia’s child protection authorities and has repeatedly savaged the agency for systemic failures.

Last month, he released the findings of his most recent investigation into the Child Protection Department which found that “high-risk matters” repeatedly referred to the agency about two separate families over several years went “without investigation”.

Lines has also regularly overturned decisions by state government agencies to refuse access to documents requested via freedom of information – most frequently SA Health, which he has repeatedly criticised for poor transparency conduct.

Before his appointment as state Ombudsman, Lines was the South Australian WorkCover Ombudsman from 2008 to 2014.

His career as an Ombudsman followed 25 years in the legal sector, including 16 years with the Crown Solicitor’s Office.