Sign In Sign Up
← Back to the Timeline
24 February – 26 August 2026

Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion – hearings

The Governor-General issued Letters Patent on 9 January 2026 establishing the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, with the Hon Virginia Bell AC SC as Royal Commissioner. SBS reported that it was set up in response to the Bondi Beach terror attack, in which 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah celebration in December 2025. The Commission held its opening hearing on 24 February 2026. After the Bondi attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had first appointed former ASIO Director-General Dennis Richardson to lead a review of the intelligence and law enforcement agencies; that review was folded into the Royal Commission, and Richardson became a special adviser to the Commission. At the opening hearing, Commissioner Bell said delays made it "unlikely that counsel assisting the commission will be in a position to adduce evidence concerning the adequacy of the security arrangements" in time for the interim report (ABC). Richardson resigned on 11 March 2026, and Bell thanked him without giving a reason. Richardson later said he felt "surplus to requirements" and was "way overpaid for what I was doing" (the Australian Financial Review reported his rate as $5,500 a day). He also said that on the intelligence findings "it cannot wait until December", and that the interim report would be "a very different document to the one that I would have done when I was doing the review, prior to the royal commission being announced" (ABC, SBS). The Interim Report was tabled in Parliament on 30 April 2026.

According to the Commission, nine hearing blocks followed: nature and prevalence (May); Bondi (from 25 May); online, social media and media; universities; community security; guidance and training; protests and policing; drivers and deradicalisation; and social cohesion (17–26 August 2026). Parts of the Bondi block were closed to the public "to avoid prejudice to national security and/or the ongoing criminal proceedings relating to the attack." At the opening of that block, ABC reported that counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC said 11 people were shot within 29 seconds of the attack starting, 10 of them fatally. ABC also reported that ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess told the Commission: "We can't be everywhere all at once."

A former ASIO undercover agent known as "Marcus", who told Four Corners that ASIO was warned in 2019 about Naveed and Sajid Akram, sought to give evidence. Immigration authorities refused both of his applications for a visa to travel to Australia, saying they were "unconvinced he intends to stay temporarily". Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he was "free to give evidence in public"; Commissioner Bell said the Commission would not hear his evidence in open hearings because of the risk of prejudicing separate criminal proceedings. ASIO has called him "disgruntled and unreliable", which he rejects. As at 29 August 2026, after the scheduled hearings had ended, the Commission said it had yet to hear from him and was working with DFAT to find a secure overseas venue (ABC).

SBS reported that more than 340 witnesses gave evidence over 62 days. The Commission's own figures, as at 11 September 2026, are 347 witnesses and 20,000 submissions. On 3 September 2026, amended Letters Patent moved the final report deadline from 14 December to 18 December 2026. SBS reported that the extension followed Jewish community concern about the report landing on the anniversary of the attack.

More sources:

Source: Hearings (Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion)
Share this