Victorian Letters Patent

On 17 February 2026, the Governor of the state of Victoria issued Letters Patent under the Inquiries Act 2014 (VIC) which support the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

CHARLES THE THIRD, BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF AUSTRALIA AND HIS OTHER REALMS AND TERRITORIES, HEAD OF THE COMMONWEALTH:

TO

The Honourable Virginia Bell AC

GREETING

WHEREAS the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, on the advice of the Federal Executive Council and under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth) and every other enabling power, has by Letters Patent appointed you to be a Commission of inquiry to inquire into, and report upon, certain matters relating to antisemitism in Australia, including tackling antisemitism, and the circumstances of the antisemitic terrorist attack that took place at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025.

AND the Governor-General has declared that you are authorised to conduct that inquiry in combination with any inquiry into the same matter, or a matter related to that matter, that you are directed or authorised to conduct by any Commission issued, or under any order or appointment made, by any of the Governors of the States or the Government of any Territory.

AND WHEREAS the Governor of the State of Victoria, by and with the advice of the Premier, has deemed it expedient that a Commission should issue to you in the terms set out below.

ACKNOWLEDGING the antisemitic terrorist attack on Jewish Australians that took place at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025, and which resulted in the loss of 15 lives and the wounding of a further 40 individuals.

AND the determination of the Australian Government to respond to the attack, and the factors leading up to the attack, as a matter of urgency by addressing antisemitism within the Australian community, including since 7 October 2023.

AND that the Australian Government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism.

AND recognising that strengthening the national consensus in support of democracy, freedom and the rule of law (social cohesion) provides the strongest defence against antisemitism and other forms of religious and ideologically motivated extremism.

AND that hearing from the Jewish Australian community will be important to informing the recommendations of your inquiry and recognising concerns relating to educational and cultural institutions; and other sectors of Australian society.

AND the necessity for the inquiry to be conducted in a manner that does not occasion prejudice to current or future criminal proceedings or national security or undermine social cohesion.

NOW THEREFORE the Governor of the State of Victoria, by and with the advice of the Premier and acting pursuant to section 5 of the Inquiries Act 2014 (Vic) and every other enabling power, appoints and constitutes you to be Our Commissioner, and requires and authorises you to inquire into the following matters:

1. tackling antisemitism by:
   
   1. investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society, and examining its key drivers in Australia, including religious and ideologically motivated extremism and radicalisation, including in the lead up to the antisemitic Bondi terrorist attack on 14 December 2025;
   2. identifying any opportunities to enhance the responses of governments to antisemitism including, but not limited to, best practice approaches to de­radicalisation and strengthening social cohesion;
   3. making recommendations to counteract and prevent manifestations of antisemitism;
   4. assessing the impact of antisemitism on the daily life of Jewish Australians including with respect to security, physical and mental health and wellbeing;
2. making any recommendations to assist law enforcement, border control, immigration and security agencies to tackle antisemitism, including by:
   
   1. improvements to guidance and training within law enforcement, border control, immigration, and security agencies to respond to antisemitic conduct;
   2. having regard to existing security arrangements for the Jewish community, improvement of protective security for Jewish places of worship, major sites, educational and cultural facilities, public events and community leaders;
   3. whether these authorities have sufficient powers and resources to respond to antisemitic conduct;
3. examine the circumstances surrounding the antisemitic Bondi terrorist attack on 14 December 2025, including:
   
   1. lead up to and planning of the attack;
   2. the interaction and information sharing between Commonwealth agencies, between Commonwealth and State and Territory agencies, and between relevant Commonwealth and State agencies with the organisers of the Chanukah event at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025;
   3. security arrangements for the Chanukah event and Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025;
   4. the attack;
   5. emergency response to the attack;
   6. whether relevant Commonwealth, State and Territory intelligence and law enforcement agencies performed to maximum effectiveness, including whether they had adequate powers and the right systems, processes and procedures, and whether there was an appropriate authorising environment for information sharing with other Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies;
   7. whether relevant Commonwealth, State and Tertitory intelligence and law enforcement agencies were prevented from taking prohibitive actions by the current legislative framework and authorising environment;
   8. identifying any gaps in existing legal and regulatory frameworks that impede the ability for law enforcement, border control, immigration and security agencies to prevent and respond to attacks of this nature at. both the state and federal levels;
   9. identifying any lessons for security and law enforcement agencies to prevent and respond to similar attacks in the future;
4. make any other recommendations arising out of your inquiry into the matters set out in paragraphs (a) to (c) that would contribute to strengthening social cohesion in Australia and countering the spread of ideologically and religiously motivated extremism in Australia;
5. any matter reasonably incidental to a matter referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d) or that you believe is reasonably relevant to your inquiry.

AND We direct you to make any recommendations arising out of your inquiry that you consider appropriate, including recommendations about any policy, legislative, administrative or structural reforms.

AND We further declare that you are not required by these Our Letters Patent to inquire, or to continue to inquire, into a particular matter to the extent that you are satisfied that the matter has been, is being, or will be, sufficiently and appropriately dealt with by another inquiry or investigation or a criminal or civil proceeding.

AND, without limiting the scope of your inquiry or the scope of any recommendations arising out of your inquiry that you may consider appropriate, We direct you, for the purposes of your inquiry and recommendations, to consider the following matters, and We authorise you, as you consider appropriate, having regard to the date by which you are required to submit your final report, to take (or refrain from taking) any action arising out of your consideration:

1. the need to provide or disclose information, or give any document or other thing, to any person or body, in accordance with section 44 of the Inquiries Act 2014 (Vic) or any other relevant law, including, for example, for the purpose of enabling the timely investigation and prosecution of offences;
2. the need to establish appropriate arrangements in relation to current and previous inquiries, in Australia and elsewhere, for evidence and information to be shared with you in ways consistent with relevant obligations so that the work of those inquiries, including, with any necessary consents, the testimony of witnesses, can be taken into account by you in a way that avoids unnecessary duplication, improves efficiency and avoids unnecessary trauma to witnesses;
3. the need to recognise and appropriately protect any intelligence information or operationally sensitive information obtained by you;
4. the need to establish appropriate arrangements with the heads of the relevant Australian intelligence entities for obtaining, storing, accessing, using, disclosing and returning intelligence information relating to an Australian intelligence entity.

AND We appoint you, the Honourable Virginia Bell AC, to constitute the Commission.

AND We direct that you, the Honourable Virginia Bell AC, be responsible for ensuring the effective, orderly and expeditious conduct of the inquiry in all its facets.

AND We declare that you are a Royal Commission for the purposes 'of section 5 of the Inquiries Act 2014 (Vic).

AND We declare that you are authorised to conduct your inquiry into any matter under these Our Letters Patent in combination with any inquiry into the same matter, or a matter related to that matter, that you are directed or authorised to conduct by any Commission, or under any order or appointment, made by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth, or the Governor of Victoria, or the Governor of any other State or the Government of any Territory.

AND We declare and specify that you may perform functions conferred on you under the law of the Commonwealth, another State or a Territory in conjunction with the performance of your functions under the Inquiries Act 2014 (Vic}.

AND We declare that in these Our Letters Patent:

AND We:

1. require you to begin your inquiry as soon as practicable; and
2. require you to make your inquiry as expeditiously as possible; and
3. require you to ensure the inquiry is conducted in a professional, impartial, respectful and courteous manner, including appropriately managing any actual or perceived conflicts of interest; and
4. require you to submit to Our Governor an interim report that you consider appropriate not later than 30 April 2026, focusing on:
   
   1. the matters mentioned in paragraph (c); and
   2. any other issues requiring urgent or immediate action; and
5. require you to submit to Our Governor a report of the results of your inquiry, and your recommendations, not later than 14 December 2026.

IN WITNESS, We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent and the Seal of the State to be hereunder affixed.

WITNESS Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner, Companion of the Order of Australia, Governor of the State of Victoria in the Commonwealth of Australia at Melbourne this 17^th day of February two thousand and twenty-six.

[signed]
MARGARET GARDNER 
By Her Excellency's Command 

[signed]
THE HON JACINTA MP
Premier of Victoria

Entered on the record by me in the Register of Patents Book No. 48 Page No. 182 on the 17^th day of February 2026.

[signed]
JEREMI MOUL
Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet