Key facts
- The royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion will delay its report by four days.
- The report's submission date has been moved from December 14 to December 18, 2027.
- The delay is to avoid distracting from the anniversary of the Bondi terror attack.
- Commissioner Virginia Bell noted pressure to extend hearings but stated the commission worked to meet its timetable.
- Senior security leaders and a Liberal MP had called for an extension of the commission's hearings.
- Parts of the inquiry were held in camera due to national security and ongoing legal proceedings.
Commissioner Virginia Bell has announced a four-day delay in the submission of the final report for the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion. The report, originally due on December 14, 2027, the first anniversary of the Bondi terror attack, will now be submitted on December 18, 2027.
Bell stated the decision was made to avoid distracting from the solemn commemorations of the Bondi massacre. She acknowledged public pressure, including from Jewish community leaders and parliamentarians, to extend the commission's hearings, but indicated that the commission had worked hard to address its terms of reference within the existing timetable.
Liberal MP Julian Leeser had put forward an unsuccessful motion in parliament to extend the reporting date, arguing that critical witnesses had not been heard. Senior security leaders, including former governor general David Hurley and former heads of the Australian military and intelligence services, also signed an open letter calling for an extension, citing the speed at which hearings were conducted and the lack of detailed review of extremism in Australia.
Counsel assisting the commission, Richard Lancaster SC, noted that significant portions of the inquiry were held in camera due to ongoing criminal prosecutions and national security sensitivities, meaning the public record does not fully reflect the commission's work.