Led by Virginia Bell AC, it will investigate the circumstances around the Bondi Beach shooting
The federal government has launched a Royal Commission into antisemitism and social cohesion in response to the Bondi Beach shooting on 14 December.
Former High Court justice Virginia Bell AC will spearhead the commission. It will investigate the circumstances around the shooting, the main drivers of antisemitism in Australia, and offer recommendations for law enforcement, border control, immigration and security agencies.
The commission will look into the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society; it will also consider ideologically and religiously motivated extremism and radicalisation as a driver of antisemitism. Its recommendations will aim to help government bodies address antisemitism by improving guidance and training on responses to antisemitic conduct, as well as enhancing social cohesion to combat ideologically and religiously motivated extremism.
The commission is expected to present an interim report to the government by 30 April. A final report will be delivered on 14 December.
“The Royal Commission represents an important opportunity to confront antisemitism, improve institutional responses and reinforce trust in Australia’s legal framework. We support the breadth and objectives of the four key areas the Commission has been asked to investigate”, Law Council of Australia president Tania Wolff said.
The council also lauded the selection of Bell as commissioner. It expressed its eagerness to work with the Royal Commission.
“Justice Bell is an eminent Australian jurist. Both judicial decision-making and the conduct of Royal Commissions are governed by clear and well-established legal principles”, Wolff said. “In Australia, judges decide matters impartially and independently, by applying the law to the evidence before them. They do not act on personal views, political considerations or public pressure. Those same principles guide Royal Commissions: procedural fairness, careful testing of evidence, and conclusions reached according to law”.
The government outlined the Royal Commission’s terms of reference in Letters Patent dated 9 January.
