Planned law will support Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion
The Attorney-General’s Department of Australia has announced that the federal government intends to introduce the Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026 to establish immunity from secrecy provisions for individuals voluntarily giving information to royal commissions.
In a media release, the federal government department noted that the immunity would also be available to Commonwealth agencies compelled to give information to royal commissions.
The federal government department added that the immunity would apply to the provision of information in line with publicly available arrangements between a royal commission and the relevant security agencies.
“The Albanese Government will introduce a new framework to ensure those providing intelligence or other sensitive operational information to Royal Commissions can do so with legal immunity,” said Michelle Rowland, Australia’s attorney-general, in the media release.
The federal government department explained that the planned legislation aims to improve legal safeguards for those offering intelligence and operational information to royal commissions, as well as to support the operation of the current Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.
“The Royal Commission is an important step for Australians to come together and learn following the heinous antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi,” Rowland said in the media release.
The federal government department asserted that the bill also seeks to enhance royal commissions’ ability to accept and deal with operationally sensitive and intelligence information, as well as to establish a clear and lawful pathway for submitting information to royal commissions without restrictions arising from the secrecy provisions in Commonwealth legislation.
In its media release, the Attorney-General’s Department shared that the federal government hastened the amendments and plans to pass the legislation swiftly to ensure that the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion can properly receive information and assess the circumstances in connection with the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney on 14 December 2025.
“The changes will support the current Royal Commission in completing its important work, including the delivery of an interim report by 30 April,” Rowland said in the federal government department’s media release.
Shortly after the mass shooting last December, the federal government announced that it would be reviewing the relevant gun legislation. On 12 January 2026, Australia’s government expressed its intention to recall the federal Parliament to address national security legislation in response to the Bondi incident.
The Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026 considers input from the Office of the Royal Commission, relevant security agencies, and the Attorney-General’s Department.
The Attorney-General’s Department noted that the federal government has publicly affirmed its support for reform to secrecy offences and has been working on such efforts for some time.
