Royal Commissions Act 1968 (WA)

Western Australia

Western Australia

Royal Commissions Act 1968

An Act relating to Royal Commissions and for purposes connected therewith and to repeal the Royal Commissioners’ Powers Act 1902.

This Act may be cited as the Royal Commissions Act 1968 1.

The Royal Commissioners’ Powers Act 1902 is repealed.

This Act applies in relation to any Royal Commission appointed before the commencement of this Act as well as in relation to a Royal Commission appointed after its commencement, but this section shall not be construed to authorise the application of this Act to proceedings in respect of offences committed before its commencement.

In this Act unless the contrary intention appears — 

Chairman means — 

• (a)

  where there is one Commissioner, that Commissioner;

• (b)

  where there is more than one Commissioner and a Commissioner is acting separately from the other or others, that Commissioner so acting;

• (c)

  subject to paragraphs (a) and (b), a person appointed as Chairman under section 6;

Commission means a Royal Commission constituted pursuant to this Act or any other power and includes a person acting in the exercise of his duty as a Commissioner;

Commissioner means a person appointed to be a Commission or to be a member of a Commission;

documents includes things that are documents within the meaning of section 79B of the Evidence Act 1906;

officer of the Commission, in relation to a Commission, means —

• (a)

  a person appointed by the Attorney General to assist the Commission; or

• (b)

  any other person appointed, employed, seconded or engaged to assist the Commission.

[Section 4 amended: No. 72 of 1990 s. 4; No. 3 of 1991 s. 4; No. 30 of 2006 s. 4.]

Without in any way prejudicing, limiting, or derogating from the power of the Governor to make or authorise any inquiry, or to issue any Commission to make any inquiry, the Governor may, under the Public Seal of the State, appoint any person or persons to be a Royal Commission, generally or upon such terms of appointment as the Governor thinks fit, to inquire into and report upon, and, where so required or authorised by terms of appointment, to make recommendations in respect of any matter specified in the appointment.

Where more than one person is appointed as a Commission the Governor may appoint one of them to be Chairman of the Commission.

• (1)

  Without in any way prejudicing, limiting or derogating from the power of a Commission in respect of the matter of its inquiry, a Commission may do all such things as are necessary or incidental to the exercise of its function as a Commission and to the performance of its terms of appointment, if any, and, where there is more than one Commissioner, may determine from time to time whether…