Are Royal Commissions just a lawyer's picnic? A political witch hunt? Or, a necessary reckoning? They're Australia's highest form of inquiry on matters of public importance. But they've also become the go-to solution when corruption, misconduct or systems failures are exposed. The lowdown with three people who have seen how they work up close.

The conversation How do Royal Commissions work? And How Do We Assess Their Impact? was recorded at the Sorrento Writers Festival on Friday 24 April 2026.

Speakers

Betty King QCFormer Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria (2005 - 2015), former County Court judge, former state prosecutor, former criminal barristerChairperson of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board

Jack Rush KC Barrister, counsel assisting the Victorian Royal Commission into the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires

Jon Faine (host)Journalist and former longtime presenter Mornings, ABC Radio MelbourneFormer lawyerVice Chancellor's Fellow, University of MelbourneAuthor, Apollo & Thelma: A True Tall Tale