Without much warning, you may become involved in a Commission of Inquiry.
A client may be compelled to produce documents and give evidence, or you may be invited to join an inquiry team. Superficially, a Commission of Inquiry has many of the same features as litigation. But it has a fundamentally different purpose and different procedures to a court case.
Two eminent jurists, with great experience in running Commissions of Inquiry, will speak on Thursday 1 August 2024 about the role and running of Commissions of Inquiry.
Former Chief Justice of Queensland, the Hon Catherine Holmes AC SC, was Commissioner of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme and in 2011-2012 was Commissioner of the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry. At the Bar, she was Counsel Assisting the Forde Inquiry into the Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions.
Former judge Margaret White
After a distinguished career as a scholar, barrister, and judge, the Hon Margaret White AO has conducted inquiries into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory, into the racing Industry in Queensland, and into government processes in PNG over an off-shore loan.
The event will be chaired by Emeritus Professor Peter Coaldrake AO, who has had a distinguished career as a practitioner and author in public administration and in higher education. In 2022 he conducted a review of culture and accountability in the Queensland Public Sector.
The speakers will discuss the role and value of commissions of inquiry in the Westminster system, and range over the question of who should lead an inquiry, the role of counsel assisting, the pitfalls of celebrity and relations with the media, the difficulties in offering procedural fairness within the time constraints of an inquiry, relations with the commissioning government, issues of privilege, variations across jurisdictions, getting and managing the material, and obtaining and nurturing staff.
The event in the Banco Court, Brisbane, is hosted by The Australian Academy of Law and will start at 5.30pm. Attendance in person is encouraged, but if you cannot attend in person, you can register online.
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