Record growth in submissions

The first six months of 2021 showed considerable progress for the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

The Commission’s Fourth progress report – published today – covers the six months from 1 January to 30 June 2021.

In that period, the Royal Commission held 282 private sessions and received 851 submissions. The number of submissions received every six months continues to grow, and brings the total submissions received as at 30 June 2021 to 2,639.

Highlights of the Royal Commission’s Fourth progress report include;

  • Increasing numbers of submissions every six months and ongoing private hearings despite COVID-19 restrictions moving three of the five public hearings virtual.
  • The Australian Government granting the Royal Commission a 17-month extension in May due to the complexity and nature of our inquiries as well as unavoidable COVID-19 related delays. The Commission will now deliver its Final report in September 2023.
  • In April, the Australian Government supported, or supported in principle, 21 of the 22 recommendations from our report into the experiences of people with disability during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Government said it had already implemented many of the recommendations. These were the first recommendations the Royal Commission made.
  • The Commission appointed Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM as senior adviser on the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability.

The Fourth progress report also highlights the significance of the amendment to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 being introduced to Parliament.

The amending legislation, designed to protect confidential information about a person’s experience of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation provided to the Royal Commission outside of a private session beyond the life of our inquiry, passed in Parliament today.

Currently, the Royal Commission can guarantee that this kind of information provided on a confidential basis outside of a private session will be protected during the term of our inquiry, but not beyond it.

With today’s legislation, the Royal Commission will be able to guarantee the confidentiality of submissions and other sensitive information about a person’s experiences both during and beyond the term of our inquiry. Information provided in private sessions is already protected during the inquiry and when it is over.