Contents

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

1A......... Power to issue Royal Commission ..................................................... 1

1B......... Definitions .......................................................................................... 1

1C......... Application of the Criminal Code ...................................................... 2

2............ Power to summon witnesses and take evidence ................................. 3

3............ Failure of witnesses to attend or produce documents ........................ 4

4............ Search warrants ................................................................................... 5

5............ Application by telephone for search warrants ................................... 7

6............ Penalty for refusing to be sworn or to give evidence .......................... 7

6AA...... Legal professional privilege ................................................................ 7

6AB...... Offences relating to claims for legal professional privilege ................. 9

6A......... Self incrimination ................................................................................ 9

6B......... Arrest of witness failing to appear ................................................... 10

6C......... Acts or omissions on different days to constitute separate offences 11

6D......... Rights of witness .............................................................................. 11

6DD...... Statements made by witness not admissible in evidence against the witness           12

6F.......... Power of Commission in relation to documents and other things .... 12

6FA....... Examination of witnesses by counsel etc. ........................................ 13

6G......... Witness to be paid expenses ............................................................. 13

6H......... False or misleading evidence ............................................................. 14

6I........... Bribery of witness ............................................................................ 14

6J.......... Fraud on witness .............................................................................. 15

6K......... Destroying documents or other things ............................................. 16

6L.......... Preventing witness from attending ................................................... 16

6M........ Injury to witness .............................................................................. 17

6N......... Dismissal by employers of witness ................................................. 17

6O......... Contempt of Royal Commission ...................................................... 18

6P.......... Commission may communicate information .................................... 18

7............ Protection to Commissioners etc. ..................................................... 20

7AA...... Commission may have concurrent functions and powers under State laws             20

7A......... Effect of Royal Commissioner having authority to inquire under foreign law         21

7B......... Commission may take evidence outside Australia ........................... 22

7C......... Statements made by witness not admissible in evidence against the witness           22

7D......... Certain evidence before a State Commission inadmissible in Commonwealth proceedings     22

8............ Allowances to witnesses .................................................................. 23

9............ Custody and use of records of Royal Commission .......................... 24

10.......... Institution of proceedings in respect of other offences .................... 29

15.......... Costs ................................................................................................. 30

16.......... Evidence of issue of Commission etc. .............................................. 30

17.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 31

Notes                                                                                                                                             33

An Act relating to Royal Commissions

Notes to the Royal Commissions Act 1902

Note 1

The Royal Commissions Act 1902 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 12, 1902 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

All relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions prior to 21 June 2001 is not included in this compilation. For subsequent information see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Royal Commissions Act 1902	12, 1902	8 Sept 1902	8 Sept 1902
Royal Commissions Act 1912	4, 1912	19 Aug 1912	19 Aug 1912		S. 10
Royal Commissions Act 1933	1, 1933	27 May 1933	27 May 1933		--
Statute Law Revision (Decimal Currency) Act 1966	93, 1966	29 Oct 1966	1 Dec 1966		--
Statute Law Revision Act 1973	216, 1973	19 Dec 1973	31 Dec 1973		Ss. 9(1) and 10
Administrative Changes (Consequential Provisions) Act 1978	36, 1978	12 June 1978	12 June 1978		S. 8
Jurisdiction of Courts (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1979	19, 1979	28 Mar 1979	Parts II‑XVII (ss. 3-123): 15 May 1979 ( see Gazette 1979, No. S86) Remainder: Royal Assent		S. 124
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act (No. 1) 1982	26, 1982	7 May 1982	Part XXXIV (ss. 201-204): Royal Assent (a)		--
Royal Commissions Amendment Act 1982	139, 1982	24 Dec 1982	1 Feb 1983 (see Gazette 1983, No. S17)		S. 8(2) (ad. by No. 91, 1983)
as amended by
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1983	91, 1983	22 Nov 1983	(b)		Ss. 2(14) and 6(1)
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1983	91, 1983	22 Nov 1983	S. 3: 20 Dec 1983 (c)		S. 6(1)
Director of Public Prosecutions (Consequential Amendments) Act 1983	114, 1983	14 Dec 1983	Part XIII (ss. 28-31):5 Mar 1984 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 1984, No. S55) (d)		--
National Crime Authority (Consequential Amendments) Act 1984	42, 1984	15 June 1984	1 July 1984 (see s. 2 and Gazette 1984, No. S245)		--
Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 1987	120, 1987	16 Dec 1987	Part IX (ss. 51, 52): Royal Assent (e)		--
Prime Minister and Cabinet (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994	33, 1994	15 Mar 1994	Ss. 53-56: Royal Assent (f)		--
Prime Minister and Cabinet Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001	49, 2001	21 June 2001	19 July 2001		S. 4 [see Table A]
Royal Commissions and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2001	166, 2001	1 Oct 2001	1 Oct 2001		--
Australian Crime Commission Establishment Act 2002	125, 2002	10 Dec 2002	Sch. 2 (items 120-123): 1 Jan 2003		--
Royal Commissions Amendment Act 2006	52, 2006	14 June 2006	Schedule 1: 15 June 2006 Remainder: Royal Assent		Sch. 1 (item 9) [see Table A]
Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner (Consequential Amendments) Act 2006	86, 2006	30 June 2006	Schedule 1 (items 57-59): 30 Dec 2006		--
Royal Commissions Amendment (Records) Act 2006	167, 2006	12 Dec 2006	12 Dec 2006		Sch. 1 (item 3) [see Table A]
Statute Law Revision Act 2008	73, 2008	3 July 2008	Schedule 4 (items 452-463): 4 July 2008		--

(a)     The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by Part XXXIV (sections 201-204) only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act (No. 1) 1982, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Sections 1 and 2 and Parts VIII and XXXIV shall come into operation on the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent.

(b)    The Royal Commissions Amendment Act 1982 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1983, subsection 2(12) of which provides as follows:

               (12)   The amendment of section 8 of the Royal Commissions Amendment Act 1982 made by this Act shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 February 1983.

(c)     The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1983, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the twenty‑eighth day after the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(d)     The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by Part XIII (sections 28-31) only of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Consequential Amendments) Act 1983, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation, or shall be deemed to have come into operation, as the case requires, on the day on which the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983 comes into operation.

(e)     The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by Part IX (sections 51 and 52) only of the Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 1987, subsection 2(2) of which provides as follows:

                 (2)   Parts II, VI, VII, VIII (other than section 47) and IX and Schedule 4 shall come into operation on the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent.

(f)      The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by sections 53-56 only of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Except for subsection 15(1), this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
S. 1A...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 1B...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 139, 1982; No. 33, 1994; No. 125, 2002; No. 52, 2006
S. 1C...................................	ad. No. 49, 2001
S. 2......................................	am. No. 4, 1912; No. 216, 1973
	rs. No. 139, 1982
	am. No. 166, 2001; No. 52, 2006; No. 73, 2008
S. 3......................................	rs. No. 139, 1982
	am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
Note to s. 3(3).....................	ad. No. 49, 2001
S. 4......................................	rs. No. 139, 1982
	am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
S. 5......................................	am. No. 4, 1912; No. 93, 1966
	rs. No. 139, 1982
	am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
S. 6......................................	am. No. 4, 1912; No. 93, 1966; No. 139, 1982; No. 49, 2001
Ss. 6AA, 6AB.....................	ad. No. 52, 2005
S. 6A...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	rs. No. 139, 1982
	am. No. 49, 2001
	rs. No. 166, 2001
	am. No. 52, 2006
S. 6B...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 139, 1982; No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008
S. 6C...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
S. 6D...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 1, 1933; No. 93, 1966; No. 139, 1982; Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
Heading to s. 6DD...............	am. No. 49, 2001
S. 6DD.................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	rs. No. 26, 1982; No. 166, 2001
	am. No. 52, 2006
S. 6E....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 93, 1966
	rep. No. 139, 1982
S. 6F....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 1, 1933
	rs. No. 139, 1982
	am. Nos. 91 and 114, 1983; No. 42, 1984; No. 33, 1994; No. 166, 2001; Nos. 52, 86 and 167, 2006; No. 73, 2008
S. 6FA.................................	ad. No. 1, 1933
	am. No. 139, 1982
S. 6G...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008
S. 6H...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	rs. No. 139, 1982
	am. No. 49, 2001
S. 6I.....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001; No. 73, 2008
S. 6J....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
S. 6K...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	rs. No. 139, 1982
	am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
S. 6L....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
S. 6M...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 93, 1966; No. 49, 2001
	rs. No. 166, 2001
S. 6N ..................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 93, 1966; Nos. 49 and 166, 2001
S. 6O...................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 93, 1966; No. 19, 1979; No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008
S. 6P....................................	ad. No. 139, 1982
	am. Nos. 91 and 114, 1983; No. 42, 1984; No. 33, 1994; No. 166, 2001; No. 125, 2002; No. 86, 2006
S. 7......................................	am. No. 4, 1912; No. 139, 1982; No. 49, 2001
S. 7AA................................	ad. No. 139, 1982
	am. No. 49, 2001
Ss. 7A, 7B...........................	ad. No. 26, 1982
Heading to s. 7C..................	am. No. 49, 2001
S. 7C...................................	ad. No. 26, 1982
S. 7D...................................	ad. No. 120, 1987
S. 8......................................	am. No. 36, 1978; No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008
S. 9......................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	rep. No. 13, 1982
	ad. No. 167, 2006
Heading preceding s. 10.....	ad. No. 4, 1912
S. 10....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 19, 1979; No. 114, 1983
S. 11....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	rep. No. 19, 1979
Ss. 12-14............................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	rep. No. 139, 1982
S. 15....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
S. 16....................................	ad. No. 4, 1912
	am. No. 26, 1982; No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008
S. 17....................................	ad. No. 139, 1982

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Prime Minister and Cabinet Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001 (No. 49, 2001)

4  Application of amendments

             (1)  Each amendment made by this Act applies to acts and omissions that take place after the amendment commences.

             (2)  For the purposes of this section, if an act or omission is alleged to have taken place between 2 dates, one before and one on or after the day on which a particular amendment commences, the act or omission is alleged to have taken place before the amendment commences.

Royal Commissions Amendment Act 2006 (No. 52, 2006)

Schedule 1

9  Application of amendments

The amendments made by this Schedule apply, after the commencement of this Schedule, in relation to the proceedings of any Commission after that commencement, whether the Commission was established before or after that commencement.

Royal Commissions Amendment (Records) Act 2006 (No. 167, 2006)

Schedule 1

3  Application of amendments

The amendments made by this Schedule apply to the Royal Commission records of a Royal Commission even if the Royal Commission was established and reported before the commencement of this Act.