What is a Royal Commission?
Q: What is a Royal Commission?
A: A Royal Commission is a major government public inquiry into an important issue that has been held in Commonwealth Realms such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya and Saudi Arabia. In other countries they are called Commissions of Enquiry or Commissions of Inquiry.
Q: Who creates the Commission?
A: The Commission is created by the Head of State (the Sovereign, or his/her representative in the form of a Governor-General or Governor) on the advice of the Government.
Q: What powers does a Royal Commissioner have?
A: A Royal Commissioner has more power than those of a judge but these are limited to the "Terms of Reference" set out by the government for that particular commission.
Q: What type of issues do Royal Commissions usually investigate?
A: Royal Commissions are usually called to look into very important matters and often controversy such as government structure, treatment of minorities, events that have received concern from the public or economic questions.
Q: How long do Royal Commissions typically last?
A: Many Royal Commissions can last many years and it is not uncommon for different governments to be left to respond to their findings.
Q: Are there any examples where governments have ignored recommendations made by a Commission?
A: Yes, sometimes governments will completely ignore recommendations made by a Commission while other times they may make some or all recommendations into law.
Q: Who generally runs a Royal Commission?
A: Generally speaking, Royal Commissions are run by one or more notable figures who often tend to be retired senior judges due to their legal powers.
