Commissions of Inquiry

Royal Commissions and Inquiries

In light of the growing trend toward the use of Inquiries and Royal Commissions  to investigate and report on issues of public significance, many organisations have grappled with the challenges of responding to Inquiries, and the intense public scrutiny they attract.

Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry present unique legal and reputational risks to organisations, both in terms of dealing with the investigating body, as well as managing the impact of any findings and subsequent criminal referrals, civil or disciplinary proceedings.

How we can help

We are experts in helping clients navigate the unique risks presented by Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry. We have had key roles acting for both private and government clients in relation to a number of recent high-profile Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry, including the Financial Services Royal Commission, the Aged Care Royal Commission, the Victorian Hotel Quarantine Inquiry, the Victorian Royal Commission into Crown Melbourne and the Western Australian Royal Commission into Crown Perth.

In the intense environment of Inquiries and Royal Commissions, there is no substitute for experience. Ours spans both Commonwealth and State-based Royal  Commissions and Inquiries. We have extensive experience responding to summonses or notices to produce documents, preparing witnesses to give evidence, protecting confidential and commercially sensitive information, coordinating resources, preparing submissions, positioning clients to respond to, and implement, the findings and recommendations of the Inquiries and Royal Commissions and to assist clients to manage subsequent criminal and civil liabilities which may flow from those findings.

Unique insights

Our team has played a leading role in a number of high-profile Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry. We bring a deep understanding of how these proceedings operate to ensure you are in the best position to respond.

A responsive and flexible team

Royal Commissions and Inquiries usually work to extremely short timeframes, meaning requests for documents and information often involve very tight deadlines. Small errors can play out publicly and can have an ongoing impact on an organisation's engagement with the investigating body. We understand these risks and work with you to ensure you can respond quickly and effectively to information requests. This includes understanding your systems and internal structures, as well as ensuring we have the resources on hand to quickly scale up (and down) capacity as needed.

Market leading technology and resources combined to achieve the right outcomes quickly

Our in-house document-production specialists utilise market-leading technology to review large volumes of electronic information and efficiently identify the most relevant information positioning us to meet even the most stringent of deadlines.