Description

IMPORTANT: Please note this event has now been postponed. The revised date will be made available in due course.

Governments are increasingly setting up Royal Commissions in areas that have a significant policy focus. In Victoria, Royal Commissions have in recent years been established into Family Violence and Mental Health. At a national level, Royal Commissions have been established into banking, aged care and disability. A National Royal Commission into the 2019-2020 bushfire season has recently been announced.

Given the frequency with which Royal Commissions are being used to address complex public policy challenges, it is timely to examine their utility and opportunities to maximise their potential.

This panel discussion gathers experts with a range of perspectives on the Royal Commission process. Through a facilitated discussion and including opportunities for attendees to be part of the discussion, the panel will consider a range of questions relating to the efficacy of Royal Commissions and their role in policy making and reform.

This event is hosted by Monash University in partnership with the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria) IPAA Victoria.  Light refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the event.

Panel Members:

Associate Professor Peter Bragge
Associate Professor Peter Bragge specialises in methods of identifying, packaging and translating research evidence into practice and policy to address challenges faced in health and sustainable development.  These include research evidence and scoping reviews tailored for policymakers and structured citizen and stakeholder consultation forums.

The Hon. Stephen Charles AO
The Hon Stephen Charles AO was appointed a Judge of Appeal in the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1995, a position he held until his retirement in 2006. Stephen is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Law at Monash University.

Kate Houghton
Kate Houghton is Deputy Secretary, Social Policy in the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Kate has more than 20 years' experience in the Victorian Public Service and has previously held the position of Deputy Secretary, Police and Crime Prevention at the Department of Justice and Regulation and earlier was a Deputy Secretary at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

The Hon Marcia Neave AO
The Hon Marcia Neave AO was a judge of the Court of Appeal until her appointment as the Chair of Victoria's Royal Commission into Family Violence in February 2015. Professor Neave is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Law at Monash University.

Professor John Thwaites
Professor John Thwaites is a Professorial Fellow, Monash University, and Chair of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute and ClimateWorks Australia. Professor Thwaites was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1999 until his retirement in 2007. During this period, he held various Ministerial portfolios including Health, Planning, Environment, Water and was Victoria’s first Minister for Climate Change.

Annie Tinney
Annie Tinney is CEO of the Commission for Children and Young People. She was the Strategic Advisor and Manager of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission’s Executive Services. She was also part of the Royal Commission into Family Violence (Victoria).

Panel Host:

Professor Liz Campbell
Professor Liz Campbell (Panel Facilitator) is the inaugural Francine McNiff Chair in Criminal Jurisprudence at the Monash Faculty of Law, having previously been Professor of Criminal Law at Durham University, UK.  Her research is socio-legal in approach and examines how best to respond to corporate crime and misconduct.