- What is a Royal Commission?
This is an inquiry set up under the Commonwealth or State Royal
Commissions Acts (or under both) authorising the person appointed
as Royal Commissioner to make an inquiry and report. For this
purpose the Commissioner (sometimes commissioners) are given very
extensive powers, including to require production of information
and answers that might otherwise be protected from disclosure under
legal privilege, or privilege against self incrimination.
- Are the powers of the Commission to obtain answers and
documents absolute or subject to exceptions?
There are some exceptions, which vary depending on which state
or federal legislation the Royal Commission has been instigated
under, including relating to current charges or penalty
proceedings, and where other legislation may specifically prohibit
production. There are sometimes tricky issues in determining how to
manage documentation which might be required by a Commission,
