Summary, (below) as an introduction to what a Royal Commission is; so everyone is on the same page and we can unpack the issue/s (controversy).
“Giving a United VOICE to the lived experience of Australian Adoptees”
ARA Inc. Round Table
– discussing Proposed RC (1 hour only)
Scheduled for 2 pm (NSW) 1 June 2019.
Royal Commission:
– A royal commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue.
– Royal commissions are called to look into matters of great importance and usually controversy.
– Royal commission have considerable powers, generally greater even than those of a judge but restricted to the terms of reference of the commission.
– The commission is created by the head of state (sovereign’s representative in the form of a governor-general) on the advice of the government and formally appointed by letters patent. In practice, unlike lesser forms of inquiry.
– Once a commission has started the government cannot stop it.
Consequently, GOVERNMENTS are usually VERY CAREFUL about FRAMING the TERMS of REFERENCE and generally include in them a date by which the commission must finish.
1. Royal commissions are called to look into matters of great importance and usually controversy.
Question for ARA:
1. What is/are the controversy/ids? (the treatment of minorities, events that are of considerable public concern)?