Virginia Bell reveals plan for Bondi shooting inquiry
The former High Court judge heading the royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack and antisemitism will open the inquiry in Sydney on Tuesday ahead of months of hearings.
Virginia Bell, SC, who was appointed in January as commissioner, is expected to deliver a short opening statement, followed by an opening statement from counsel assisting the commission, Richard Lancaster, SC.
The commission’s timeline is ambitious. It is required to deliver an interim report by April 30, dealing with the circumstances surrounding the mass shooting on December 14 on the first night of Hanukkah. Fifteen people were killed and dozens more were injured in the attack targeting the Jewish community.
The interim report will canvass issues directly related to the mass shooting, including whether “intelligence and law enforcement agencies performed to maximum effectiveness” and had adequate powers and appropriate procedures, and whether a greater security presence was required.
This section of the inquiry is being led by former ASIO and Defence department boss Dennis Richardson.
A final report, encompassing broader issues, is due by the first anniversary of the massacre.
The terms of reference are lengthy and extends to “investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society, and examining its key drivers in Australia, including religious and ideologically motivated extremism and radicalisation”.
Bell is expected to make recommendations “to counteract and prevent manifestations of antisemitism” and assess “the impact of antisemitism on the daily life of Jewish Australians including with respect to security, physical and mental health and wellbeing”.
In addition, the royal commission will examine the adequacy of “existing security arrangements for the Jewish community, improvement of protective security for Jewish places of worship, major sites, educational and cultural facilities, public events and community leaders”.
ASIO said in a recent statement: “Tragically, ASIO did not know what the perpetrators of the Bondi attack were planning – or indeed that they were planning anything. This is a matter of grave regret. It weighs on us heavily. But that does not mean additional resourcing would have prevented the attack or there was intelligence that was not acted on or that our officers made mistakes.”
The spy agency continued: “Ultimately, the royal commission will make its own assessment … based on all the evidence, rather than selective claims.”
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