Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide

Mr Nick Kaldas APM
The Hon. James Douglas KC
Dr Peggy Brown AO

Inquiry period8 July 2021 (2021-07-08) – 17 June 2024 (2024-06-17)Constituting instrumentRoyal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth)Websitedefenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au

On 8 July 2021, the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), issued Letters Patent, which established the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Under the Letters Patent, Nick Kaldas APM, the Hon James Douglas KC, and Dr Peggy Brown AO were appointed as Royal Commissioners. They delivered an interim report on 11 August 2022 and are required to produce a final report by 17 June 2024. The Letters Patent set out the Royal Commissioners’ terms of reference.

Background

Between 1997 and 2020 there were 1600 known cases of Defence and veteran suicides in Australia.^[1] The Federal Government resisted calls for the establishment of a Royal Commission, instead preferring establishing a permanent National Commissioner for veteran suicides. A National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention was established in February 2020.^[2] The work of the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention concluded on 15 September 2021.^[3]

Following increased pressure from members of the public, on 22 March 2021, the motion to support the establishment of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives.^[4]

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established on 8 July 2021 by Letters Patent, pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902. The Letters Patent appoint Mr Nick Kaldas APM, The Hon. James Douglas KC and Dr Peggy Brown AO as Royal Commissioners.

Powers

The powers of Royal Commissions in Australia are set out in the Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth).

After a recommendation in the Interim Report, the Australian Government agreed to make legislative reform to provide stronger and broader protections to those who engage with the Royal Commission. On 30 March 2023, the Government expanded protections with Royal Commissions Amendment (Enhancing Engagement) Bill 2023 becoming law.

The amended legislation ensures any sensitive, personal or confidential information disclosed to the Commission is protected during and after the life of the inquiry.^[5]

On 14 September 2023, the Royal Commissions Amendment (Private Sessions) Bill 2023 passed in parliament. The new laws outlined in this bill allow royal commissions to appoint qualified and experienced senior staff members of royal commissions to conduct private sessions, in order to assist in workload. Prior to this, only royal commissioners were able to conduct private sessions, as outlined in the Royal Commissions Act 1902.

Hearings

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide commenced its proceedings with a Ceremonial Hearing in Brisbane on 26 November 2021.

In its first two years, the Royal Commission has conducted eleven public hearings in various towns and cities across Australia, including: Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Townsville, Hobart, Darwin, Wagga Wagga, Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne.^[6]

Across these hearings, the Commission heard from over 300 witnesses, including:

Lived Experience witnesses – people with direct experience of Defence service, their families, and support people

Professional witnesses – ex-service organisations, academics, mental health professionals
Commonwealth witnesses – high-ranking Defence personnel, Members of Parliament, public servants.

The Royal Commission heard evidence about risk and protective factors that are unique to military service, including the role and importance of families, Australian Defence Force culture, transition out of the Australian Defence Force, delays with Department of Veterans’ Affairs claims, and more.

Reports

Interim report

As outlined by the Letters Patent, The Royal Commissioners presented the Interim Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide to the Governor-General, His Excellency, General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) on 11 August 2022. The Interim Report was tabled in Parliament on the same day.

The Interim Report includes urgent recommendations and information based on the Royal Commission’s work so far. It includes initial findings on suicide prevention and wellbeing, families, Australian Defence Force culture, transition, and what might happen after the Royal Commission.

In the Interim Report, the Royal Commission made 13 urgent recommendations, including:

Legislative reform to simplify the veteran compensation and rehabilitation system.
Steps to eliminate the Departments of Veterans’ Affairs claims backlog.
Improving access to information for serving and ex-serving members and their families.
Strengthening protections to help serving members feel more comfortable sharing their stories.
Calling on the Government to remove the barriers to the Commission’s work caused by parliamentary privilege and public interest immunity.

In September 2022, the Government responded to the Interim Report, and outlined changes it would implement based on recommendations made by the Royal Commission.^[7]

Submissions

The Royal Commission invited members of the public, organisations, and institutions to share their experiences by making a submission. This included serving and ex-serving Defence personnel, their friends and family, support people, and organisation whose work related to the Royal Commission's terms of reference. Those who made a submission could remain anonymous.

Submissions did not need to relate only to suicide. Submissions could include anything relevant to the Royal Commission's terms of reference. Themes such as military service, trauma, mental health, family support, and more were important to the Royal Commission's inquiry.

Submissions opened on 8 July 2021 and closed on 13 October 2023. In that time, the Royal Commission received over 5000 submissions that covered a range of issues that related to the Royal Commission's terms of reference.

About 80% of submissions were from serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel, and their families and friends.^[8]

The five most common themes identified were -

suicide and suicidal behaviour
ADF culture, governance and accountability
mental illness
Department of Veterans' Affairs claims and compensation, and
ADF mental health support and responses.

Some submissions have been published on the Royal Commission's website, with the consent of the author.

References

^ "Australian Defence Force suicide monitoring". Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
^ "Parliament backs royal commission into veteran suicides". ABC News. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
^ "National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention | Attorney-General's Department".
^ "Parliament backs royal commission into veteran suicides". ABC News. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
^ "Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide". 21 September 2023.
^ "Hearings | Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide". 21 September 2023.
^ "Department of Veterans' Affairs | Government releases response to Royal Commission Interim Report". 19 December 2022.
^ "Royal Commission thanks Defence, veteran community after submissions close: Media release". Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. 16 October 2023.

External links

Official website of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
Interim report of the Royal Commission

Royal Commissions of the Commonwealth of Australia

1901–1920

1901–1910

1901–1905

to inquire into and report upon the arrangements made for the transport of troops returning from service in South Africa in the S.S. "Drayton Grange" (1902)
on sites for the seat of government of the Commonwealth (1903)
on the Bonuses for Manufactures Bill (1903–1904)
on the butter industry (1904–1905)
on the Navigation Bill (1904–1906)
on the affray at Goaribari Island, British New Guinea, on the 6th of March, 1904 (1904)
on customs and excise tariffs (1904–1907)
on old-age pensions (1905–1906)
on the tobacco monopoly (1905–1906)

1906–1910

on ocean shipping service (1906)
British New Guinea—Royal Commission of inquiry into the present conditions, including the method of government, of the Territory of Papua, and the best means of their improvement (1906–1907)
on secret drugs, cures, and foods (1906–1907)
on postal services (1908–1910)
on insurance (1908–1910)
on stripper harvesters and drills (1908–1909)
on Tasmanian customs leakage (1910–1911)

1911–1920

1911–1912	on the sugar industry (1911–1912) on the pearl-shelling industry (1912–1916) on the fruit industry (1912–1914)
1913–1914	to inquire into certain charges against Mr. Henry Chinn (1913) on Northern Territory railways and ports (1913–1914) on powellised timber (1913–1914) upon the Commonwealth electoral law and administration (1914–1915) on meat export trade (1914) on food supplies and trade and industry during the war (1914)
1915–1916	on mail services and trade development between Australia and the New Hebrides (1915) on Liverpool Military Camp, New South Wales (1915) on the charges made by D. L. Gilchrist concerning the construction of the western section of the Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway (1916) to inquire into and report upon certain charges against the Administrator and other officers of the Northern Territory Administration (1916) on Federal Capital Administration (1916–1917)
1917–1918	on Java and the East Indies, Singapore and the Straits Settlements (1917–1918) on Navy and Defence Administration (1917–1919) on the war—Australian Imperial Force. Report as to number of members fit for active service and number of reinforcements and enlistments required (1918) on Public Service administration, Commonwealth of Australia (1918–1920) upon the public expenditure of the Commonwealth of Australia with a view to effecting economies (1918–1921) on taxation of leasehold estates in Crown lands (1918–1919) on the basic wage (1919–1920)
1919–1920	on the sugar industry (1919–1920) on industrial troubles on Melbourne wharfs (1919–1920) on late German New Guinea (1919–1920) to inquire into complaints by the munition worker passengers to Australia by the transport "Bahia Castillo" (1919) on Northern Territory Administration (1919–1920) on taxation (1920–1923) on the increase of the selling price of coal (1920)

1921–1940

1921–1930

1921–1922	on the matter of uniform railway gauge (1921) on pillaging of ships' cargoes (1921) on Cockatoo Island Dockyard (1921) upon the loyalty to the British Crown of German Nationals resident in Australia whose property is liable to a charge created by the Treaty of Peace Regulations made under the Treaty of Peace (Germany) Act 1919–1920 (1921)
1923–1924	on the circumstances attending the supposed loss at sea of the steamship "Sumatra" (1923) in connection with sugar purchases by the Commonwealth through Mr. W. E. Davies in September and October, 1920 (1923–1924) in connection with joinery supplied to the War Service Homes Commissioner in March, 1920 (1923–1924) on the Navigation Act (1923–1925) on national insurance (1923–1927) on the method for determining the unimproved value of land held under Crown leases (1924–1925) on the assessment of war service disabilities (1924–1925) to inquire into extracts from the reports in Parliamentary Debates of speeches made by Mr. Scullin in the House of Representatives on 7 and 19 August 1924, in relation to land tax matters (1924–1925) on the finances of Western Australia, as affected by Federation (1924–1925)
1925–1926	on health (1925–1926) on Norfolk Island affairs (1926) on certain matters in connexion with the British Phosphate Commission (1926)
1927–1928	on wireless (1927) on the Edie Creek (New Guinea) leases (1927) on the Moving Picture Industry in Australia (1927–1928) on the Constitution (Australia)
1929–1930	on the coal industry (1929) to inquire into allegations affecting members of the Parliamentary Joint Committee of Public Accounts in connexion with claims made by broadcasting companies against the Commonwealth Government (1930)

1931–1940

1931–1935

on Jacob Johnson (1931)
on performing rights (1932–1933)
on taxation (1932–1934)
on mineral oils and petrol and other products of mineral oils (1933–1935)
on the wheat, flour and bread industries (1934–1936)
to inquire into and report upon the circumstances associated with the retirement of Lieutenant-Commander Alan Dermot Casey from the Royal Australian Navy (1934)
to inquire into the monetary and banking systems at present in operation in Australia (1935–1937)

1936–1940

on doctors' remuneration for national insurance service and other contract practice (1938)
regarding the contract for the erection of additions to the General Post Office, Sydney (1939)

1941–1960

1941–1950

to inquire into and report upon the contract or contracts with Abbco Bread Co. Pty. Limited for the supply of bread to the Department of the Army, and other matters (1941)
to inquire into circumstances under which certain public monies were used and to whom, and for what purposes such moneys were paid (1941)
an inquiry into a statement that there was a document missing from the official files in relation to "The Brisbane Line" (1943)
to inquire into and report upon certain transactions of the Sydney Land Sales Control Office, and the Canberra Land Sales Control Office of the Treasury (1947)
to inquire into certain transactions in relation to timber rights in the Territory of Papua-New Guinea (1949)

1951–1960

on the Port Augusta to Alice Springs Railway (1951–1952)
on television (1953–1954)
on espionage (1954–1955)

1961–1980

1961–1970

on alleged improper practices and improper refusal to co-operate with the Victoria Police Force on the part of persons employed in the Postmaster-General's Department in Victoria in relation to illegal gambling (1962–1963)
on loss of HMAS Voyager (1964)
on the statement of Lieutenant Commander Cabban and matters incidental thereto (1967–1968)
into exploratory and production drilling for petroleum in the area of the Great Barrier Reef (1970–1975)

1971–1980

1971–1975

Aboriginal Land Rights Commission (1973–1974)
Australian Post Office Commission of inquiry (1973–1974)
of Inquiry into land tenures (1973–1976)
on petroleum (1973–1976)
of Inquiry into the maritime industry (1973–1976)
Independent Inquiry into Frequency Modulation Broadcasting (1973–1974)
of Inquiry into transport to and from Tasmania (1974–1976)
on Australian Government Administration (1974–1976)
on human relationships (1974–1978)
on intelligence and security (1974–1977)
into alleged payments to maritime unions (1974–1976)
to inquire into and report upon certain incidents in which Aborigines were involved in the Laverton area (1975–1976)
on Norfolk Island (1975–1976)

1975–1980

of Inquiry into drugs (1977–1980)
of Inquiry into matters in relation to electoral redistribution Queensland, 1977 (1978)
of Inquiry into the efficiency and administration of hospitals (1979–1981)
of Inquiry into the viability of the Christmas Island phosphate industry (1979–1980)
on the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union (1980–1984)

1981–2000

1981–1990

1981–1985

of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking (1981–1983)
into the activities of the Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation (1981–1982)
into Australian meat industry (1981–1982)
of Inquiry into the activities of the Nugan Hand Group (1983–1985)
on the use and effects of chemical agents on Australian personnel in Vietnam (1983–1985)
on Australia's security and intelligence agencies (1983–1985)
of Inquiry into compensation arising from social security conspiracy prosecutions (1984–1986)
into British nuclear tests in Australia (1984–1985)
of inquiry into alleged telephone interceptions (1985–1986)

1986–1990

of inquiry into Chamberlain convictions (1986–1987)
into grain storage, handling and transport (1986–1988)
into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1987–1991)

1991–2000

of Inquiry into the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (1994–1995)
of Inquiry into the leasing by the Commonwealth of accommodation in Centenary House (1994)
of Inquiry into the relations between the CAA and Seaview Air (1994–1996)

2001–2020

2001–2010