If I make a submission:
Submission given to the Royal Commission
What does this mean?
The Royal Commission keeps your submission until it finishes.
Who can access my submission?
If you ask the Royal Commission to keep your submission confidential, it will not be made available to the public.
No one can apply to access your information under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
A Court or Tribunal could order the Royal Commission to share your submission with it. The Royal Commission can resist such orders.
The Royal Commission can share your information with the police or other law enforcement agencies, if it relates to a crime.
Royal Commission ends
What does this mean?
The Royal Commission records go to the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department.
Who can access my submission?
Anyone from the public can request to access your submission under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Some documents are exempt and cannot be released. These include:
- Documents about personal information, (e.g. names, medical information).
- Documents given in confidence.
A Court or Tribunal could order the Department to share your submission with it.
Police and other law enforcement agencies can be given a copy of your submission.
Open access period begins 21 years after the Royal Commission ends
What does this mean?
The Royal Commission records become open to the public.
Who can access my submission?
Anyone can apply to access Royal Commission records through the National Archives of Australia website. Certain types of records cannot be released. These include:
- Personal information, (e.g. medical information, physical characteristics, sexual relationships).
- Information given in confidence.
If someone requests a record about you, it will not get released if it might affect you detrimentally.
If I participate in a private session:
Information given to the Royal Commission in Private Session
What does this mean?
The Royal Commission keeps your information until it finishes.
Who can access my submission?
The Royal Commission cannot make your information available to the public.
No one from the public can apply to access your information under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
A Court or Tribunal cannot issue a legal order to the Royal Commission to see your submission.
The Royal Commission can share your information with the police or other law enforcement agencies, if it relates to a crime.
Royal Commission ends
What does this mean?
The Royal Commission records go to the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department.
Who can access my submission?
No one from the public can apply to access your information under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
A Court or Tribunal cannot issue a legal order to the Royal Commission to see your submission.
Police and other law enforcement agencies can be given a copy of your information.
Open access period begins 99 years after the Royal Commission ends
What does this mean?
The Royal Commission private session records become open to the public.
Who can access my submission?
Anyone can apply to access private session records. They can apply to the National Archives of Australia. Only certain records cannot get released. Some kinds of records that cannot get released are:
- Personal information (e.g. medical information, physical characteristics, sexual relationships).
- Information given in confidence.
If someone requests a record about you, it will not get released if it might affect you detrimentally.
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Publication date: 09 June 2022
Publication type: Fact sheet
Language: English