Sydney silk appointed as royal commission’s lead lawyer as inquiry gets underway
Sydney Silk Richard Lancaster, SC has been appointed to lead the team of lawyers assisting the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which is expected to deliver an interim report in April.
With the attorney assisting, Lancaster will be the most prominent face of the investigation after commissioner Judge Virginia Bell. Its job is to prepare and examine evidence, identify witnesses, provide legal guidance, and help determine the direction of the investigation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Bell would chair a royal commission earlier this month after initially resisting demands for a national inquiry from the federal opposition, lawyers, business figures and leading sports stars.
Bell’s appointment a former Supreme Court justiceHe was initially objected to by some Australian Jews, but senior bodies in the Jewish community ultimately said they would support his position and co-operate with the investigation.
Lancaster’s chambers confirmed Thursday that he had been appointed paralegal. An official statement is expected to be made from the royal commission in the coming days regarding the team of lawyers it will lead.
He is a Sydney-based solicitor and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2009 after being called to the Bar in 1997. Lancaster has appeared regularly in the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of NSW and has appeared in the Supreme Court on several occasions. His areas of expertise include public law, commercial law, intellectual property, media and technology, and environmental and planning law.
He has worked on many high-profile cases, most notably the successful challenge to the Morrison government’s $21 million grant to Imperial Oil & Gas to undertake fracking in the Beetaloo Basin.
He is chair of the NSW Bar Association’s climate change committee, serves as environmental advisor to the board of the NSW Environmental Protection Authority, and is a member of the NSW Bar Association’s working group on over-representation in the justice system.
When presenting his report, Bell will consider Lancaster’s evidence alongside other witness statements and statements, including the security review by former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson. The Albanian government announced that it expects an interim report by April 30, and the final report will be published on December 14 this year; a short turnaround time for such an inquiry.
The royal commission has four key terms of reference: first, it investigates antisemitism and its key drivers, including religious extremism. Second, supporting law enforcement and immigration to respond to anti-Semitic behavior. Three, to examine the circumstances of the Bondi attack. Fourth, anything that strengthens social harmony and counters extremism.
Attorney General Michelle Rowland told parliament last Tuesday that Bell officially took up his post last week. “The Commissioner is now officially in charge and is wasting no time in getting the royal commission into action,” Rowland said.
“The royal commission will be an important opportunity for Australians, particularly Australian Jews, to have their voices heard and share their experiences. It is also important to note that the royal commission must be conducted in a way that does not prejudice future criminal proceedings.”
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Natassia Chrysanthos is a Federal Political Correspondent. He has previously reported on immigration, health, social issues and the NDIS from Parliament House in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
