Final sitting of landmark Royal Commission

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability will hold its final sitting in Sydney tomorrow.

The Ceremonial Closing Sitting is the Royal Commission’s last public event before its Final report is handed to the Governor-General on Thursday, 28 September 2023.

The inquiry has taken nearly four and a half years. During this period the Royal Commission held 32 major hearings, received over 7,900 submissions, held 1,785 private sessions and published numerous reports.

The Chair of the Royal Commission, Honourable Ronald Sackville AO KC, said the Royal Commission has been the most comprehensive inquiry into the experiences of people with disability in the nation’s history.

“The Royal Commission could not have undertaken such a far-reaching inquiry without the immense contributions of so many people with disability, their families and supporters”, the Chair said.

This sitting provides an opportunity to acknowledge the grace and generosity of the thousands of people prepared to share their experiences of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation with the Royal Commission. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on the work of the Royal Commission and the issues it has examined.

The Chair said that the Royal Commission had faced numerous challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. But with the support of people with disability and disability representative organisations, the Royal Commission has been able to complete its work. Attention will soon focus on the Final report.

All six Commissioners will participate at the Ceremonial Closing Sitting. However, the contents of the Final report will not be discussed during this hearing. The Final report will be made public when it is presented to the Governor-General and tabled in the Australian Parliament.

The sitting will commence at 10.00am at the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney at The Rocks.

The sitting will be livestreamed on the Royal Commission’s website with live captioning and Auslan interpreters.

Please direct all inquiries to the Disability Royal Commission media team on 0436 841 166 or via our email DRCmedia@royalcommission.gov.au.