Royal Commissions, or commissions of inquiry, are part of the executive arm of some Commonwealth governments that are rooted in the British parliamentary system. Their main function is to inform the government and often to deal with broad topics of...

Royal Commissions are appointed by the Queen in Council and are charged with the duty of reporting in terms of their order of reference. Eminent people are invited to be members for their knowledge of the topic to be investigated. The...

In states that are Commonwealth Realms a Royal Commission is a major government public inquiry into an issue. They have been held in states such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, a...

ON MARCH 1st the Sutherland commission on long-term care of the elderly reported, and the Wakeham commission on Lords' reform met for the first time. Royal commissions are back in fashion. Lady Thatcher set up none in 11 years, but Tony Blair has...

On 1 July 1915, Richard Beaumont Orchard MP, the federal member for Nepean in the House of Representatives, delivered a scathing attack on the mismanagement of affairs he felt existed at the military training camp at Liverpool, 35 km SW of Sydney. In...

Australia is moving quickly toward requesting the extradition of a U.S.-based surgeon accused of manslaughter in the deaths of several patients, Prime Minister John Howard said Wednesday."We are moving very carefully but swiftly to make sure that justice is done and we want to see...