The Politics of Royal Commissions in Australia

Guest editors

Margaret Hutchison, Joshua Black, Michelle Arrow

Australia has held more than 140 royal commissions of inquiry since 1901, and 24 since 2000. As this figure might suggest, royal commissions have become commonplace in contemporary Australia, tasked with investigating and reporting on a range of issues from child sexual abuse, aged care and natural disaster arrangements to the most recent inquiry into defence and veteran suicide. Historically, royal commissions have served multiple functions: to define policy problems, manage (and potentially depoliticise) difficult issues, investigate allegations of impropriety, hold governments accountable, or justify a policy response (Gilligan 2002). They investigate issues and problems, but do they also manage and contain them? This special issue of AJPH examines the long history, impact and legacies of royal commissions in Australia and how they have shaped our political landscape. The guest editors invite proposals for articles on any aspect of the history, politics and legacies of royal commissions for a special issue planned for 2026.  Please submit proposals of no more than 300 words to Dr Margaret Hutchison (margaret.hutchison@unsw.edu.au) by 30 August 2024.