The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion will hold its first public hearing today – but it won’t hear testimonies from members of the public as yet, nor evidence. Source: SBS News.
The first day of the hearing will allow commissioner Virginia Bell, who is leading the public inquiry, to make a short opening statement explaining how she will approach the terms of reference for the inquiry.
She’s expected to outline how the inquiry will be conducted, where and when hearings will be held, and who it will hear from.
A short opening statement will also be provided by the lawyer assisting the inquiry, senior counsel assisting Richard Lancaster.
The royal commission was set up by the Albanese Government in January amid pressure from the Opposition and a number of public figures in the wake of the Bondi terror attack that killed 15 people, mostly Jewish Australians.
The December 14 antisemitic attack is a key focus of the inquiry: it will look at the lead-up and planning of the attack, and how agencies interacted and shared information, as well as tools to prevent such attacks in future.
It will investigate the prevalence and drivers of antisemitism in institutions and society in the lead up to the Bondi attack and how it’s affected Jewish Australians and whether law enforcement, border control, immigration, and security agencies have adequate resources and powers to respond to antisemitic conduct.
And while social cohesion is in the title of the inquiry, this will focus on asking the royal commission to make recommendations on how to strengthen social cohesion and “countering the spread of ideologically and religiously motivated extremism in Australia”.
Public and private hearings are expected over the next few months, where people can share their experiences, or through written submissions.
The royal commission is expected to run while a separate criminal case is underway for the alleged gunman charged over the Bondi attack – Naveed Akram, who is facing 59 charges, including murder and terrorism offences.
While this could complicate matters for the royal commission, it’s been given instructions to avoid matters in “a manner that does not occasion prejudice to current or future criminal proceedings”.
The commissioner and staff will deliver an interim report by April 30. A final report is expected by December 14 – timed for the first anniversary of the Bondi massacre.
FULL STORY
A new national royal commission starts today. Here’s what we can expect (By Rashida Yosufzai, SBS News)
