About the Royal Commission
What is a Royal Commission?
A Royal Commission is an investigation, independent of government, into a matter of great importance.
Royal Commissions have broad powers to hold public hearings, call witnesses under oath and compel evidence.
Royal Commissions make recommendations to government about what should change.
Each Royal Commission has terms of reference, which define the issues it will look into.
The Disability Royal Commission was established in April 2019 in response to community concern about widespread reports of violence against, and the neglect, abuse and exploitation of, people with disability. These incidents might have happened recently or a long time ago.The Disability Royal Commission will investigate:
- preventing and better protecting people with disability from experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation
- achieving best practice in reporting, investigating and responding to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability
- promoting a more inclusive society that supports people with disability to be independent and live free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The Disability Royal Commission will investigate and report on experiences and conditions in all settings and contexts, including:
- group homes or boarding houses
- family homes
- day programs
The Disability Royal Commission gathers information through research, public hearings, the personal experiences people tell us about and submissions, private sessions, and other forums.
We will deliver a final report to the Australian Government by 29 April 2022. In this report, the Royal Commission will recommend how to improve laws, policies, structures and practices to ensure a more inclusive and just society.