Australia's Prime Minister Launches Royal Commission Following Bondi Beach Shooting

Fri Jan 09 2026 08:17:35 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In response to the tragic Bondi Beach shooting that claimed 15 lives during a Jewish festival, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a royal commission to investigate the rise of antisemitism and enhance national security.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese has declared a royal commission into the Bondi Beach shooting incident that left 15 dead. This marks one of Australia's worst violent attacks and is a response to increasing calls for action against rising antisemitism and gun violence. The inquiry aims to examine several factors contributing to the incident and propose reforms.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a royal commission, the country's most powerful form of independent inquiry, into last month's shooting at Bondi Beach.

The attack targeting a Jewish festival left 15 people dead, making it one of the deadliest in the country's history.

Albanese had previously argued that reforms on gun ownership and hate speech, steps to tackle antisemitism and a review into intelligence and law enforcement agencies offered the quickest response.

But following weeks of public pressure, he said on Thursday that a royal commission was the best way forward after he had taken the time to reflect and meet with the Jewish community.

I've repeatedly said that our government's priority is to promote unity and social cohesion, and this is what Australia needs to heal, to learn, to come together in a spirit of national unity, he told reporters in Canberra. It's clear to me that a royal commission is essential to achieving this.

Since the 14 December attack, the families of the victims, as well as a chorus of public figures, including lawyers, business people and athletes, had led an almost daily campaign calling for him to reverse course and launch a royal commission.

A royal commission has broad powers to investigate, the ability to summon witnesses and compel agencies to produce documents. It can also offer legal protections to whistleblowers.

The commission will examine four key areas, Albanese said. They comprise:

investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism and its key drivers in Australia
making recommendations to enforcement, border immigration and security agencies to tackle antisemitism
examining the circumstances surrounding the Bondi attack
making any other recommendations for strengthening social cohesion and countering the spread of ideological and religiously motivated extremism

The prime minister said the work of Dennis Richardson, the former spy chief leading a review into intelligence and law enforcement agencies, would be wrapped into the royal commission, with an interim report expected in April.

Former High Court justice Virginia Bell has been appointed to lead the commission, Albanese said, adding that he had asked her to report by December 2026 and that this won't be a drawn-out process. Previous royal commissions have taken years.

Albanese also promised hate speech reform, including penalties for preachers and leaders who promote violence and a new federal offence of aggravated hate speech.

The inquiry is set to focus on not only the events leading up to the Bondi attack but also the broader issues surrounding antisemitism in Australia. Albanese emphasized that this royal commission is meant to help restore national unity and security amid rising concerns over hate crimes.