A royal commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue in some

monarchies A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...

. They have been held in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

and

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

. In

republics A republic, based on the Latin phrase '' res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although ...

an equivalent entity may be termed a commission of inquiry. Such an inquiry has considerable powers, typically equivalent or greater than those of a

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

but restricted to the

terms of reference Terms of reference (TOR) define the purpose and structures of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal. Terms of reference show how the object in ...

for which it was created. These powers may include subpoenaing witnesses, notably video evidences, taking evidence under oath and requesting documents. The commission is created by the head of state (the sovereign, or their representative in the form of a governor-general or governor) on the advice of the government and formally appointed by

letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

. In practice—unlike lesser forms of inquiry—once a commission has started the government cannot stop it. Consequently, governments are usually very careful about framing the terms of reference and generally include in them a date by which the commission must finish. Royal commissions are called to look into matters of great importance and usually controversy. These can be matters such as government structure, the treatment of minorities, events of considerable public concern or economic questions. Many royal commissions last many years and, often, a different government is left to respond to the findings.

Notable royal commissions

Australia

Royal commissions have been held in Australia at a federal level since 1902. Royal commissions appointed by the

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

operate under the

Royal Commissions Act 1902 The Royal Commissions Act 1902 is an Australian act of parliament which authorises the Australian Governor-General to initiate an investigation, referred to as a royal commission. Royal Commissions are a major independent public inquiry into a ...

passed by the

Parliament of Australia The Parliament of Australia (officially the Parliament of the Commonwealth and also known as the Federal Parliament) is the federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the Monarchy of Australia, monarch of Australia (repr ...

in 1902. A defunct alternative is known as a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry. Royal commissions are the highest form of inquiry on matters of public importance. A royal commission is formally established by the Governor-General on behalf of the Crown and on the advice of government Ministers. The government decides the terms of reference, provides the funding and appoints the commissioners, who are selected on the basis of their independence and qualifications. They are never serving politicians. Royal commissions are usually chaired by one or more notable figures. Because of their

quasi-judicial A quasi-judicial body is a non-judicial body which can interpret law. It is an entity such as an arbitration panel or tribunal board, which can be a public administrative agency (not part of the judicial branch of government) but also a contra ...

powers the commissioners are often

retire Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

d or serving judges. They usually involve research into an issue, consultations with experts both within and outside government and public consultations as well. The warrant may grant immense investigatory powers, including summoning witnesses under

oath Traditionally, an oath (from Old English, Anglo-Saxon ', also a plight) is a utterance, statement of fact or a promise taken by a Sacred, sacrality as a sign of Truth, verity. A common legal substitute for those who object to making sacred oaths ...

, offering of indemnities, seizing of documents and other evidence (sometimes including those normally protected, such as

classified information Classified information is confidential material that a government deems to be sensitive information which must be protected from unauthorized disclosure that requires special handling and dissemination controls. Access is restricted by law or ...

), holding hearings ''

in camera ''In camera'' (; Latin: "in a chamber"). is a legal term that means ''in private''. The same meaning is sometimes expressed in the English equivalent: ''in chambers''. Generally, ''in-camera'' describes court cases, parts of it, or process wh ...

'' if necessary and—in a few cases—compelling all government officials to aid in the execution of the commission. The results of royal commissions are published in reports, often massive, of findings containing policy recommendations. Due to the verbose nature of the titles of these formal documents they are commonly known by the name of the commission's chair. For example, the "Royal Commission into whether there has been corrupt or criminal conduct by any Western Australian Police Officer" is known as the

Kennedy Royal Commission The Royal Commission Into Whether There Has Been Corrupt or Criminal Conduct By Any Western Australian Police Officer, commonly known as the Kennedy Royal Commission, was a Royal Commission established in 2002 by the state government of Western ...

. While these reports are often quite influential, with the government enacting some or all recommendations into law, the work of some commissions have been almost completely ignored by the government. In other cases, where the commissioner has departed from the Warranted terms, the commission has been dissolved by a superior court.

Federal

* Royal Commission in the matter of an inquiry into a statement that there was a document missing from the official files in relation to "

The Brisbane Line The "Brisbane Line" was a defence proposal supposedly formulated during World War II to concede the northern portion of the Australian continent in the event of an invasion by the Japanese. Although a plan to prioritise defence in the vital in ...

" (1943) * Royal Commission on loss of HMAS ''Voyager'' (1964) – investigated the collision between HMAS ''Melbourne'' and HMAS ''Voyager'' * Royal Commission on the statement of Lieutenant Commander Cabban and matters incidental thereto (1967–1968) – investigated claims that the captain of HMAS ''Voyager'' frequently drank to excess and was unfit for command * Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security ("Hope Commission") – investigated the country's intelligence agencies (1974–1977) *Royal Commission on Human Relationships (1974–1977) – inquired into and reported on the family, social, educational and sexual aspects of male and female relationships * Royal Commission on the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union ("Costigan Royal Commission") (1980–1984) – investigated organised crime influences and drug trafficking in a large trade union * Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking ("Stewart Royal Commission") (1981–1983) * Royal Commission into British nuclear tests in Australia ("McClelland Royal Commission") (1984–1985) * Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1987–1991) – investigated the allegedly disproportionate number of deaths of Australian Aboriginals while in custody * Royal Commission into HIH Insurance (2001–2003) – investigated the collapse of

HIH Insurance HIH Insurance was Australia's second-largest insurance company before it was placed into provisional liquidation on 15 March 2001. The demise of HIH is considered to be the largest corporate collapse in Australia's history, with liquidators e ...

, then Australia's second largest

insurance company Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...

* Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry ("Cole Royal Commission") (2001–2003) – investigated the conduct of industrial relations within the building industry * Inquiry into certain Australian companies in relation to the UN Oil-For-Food Programme ("Cole Inquiry") (2005–2006) – investigated the alleged participation of the AWB into the Oil for Food program *

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was a royal commission announced in November 2012 and established in 2013 by the Australian government pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 to inquire into and repo ...

(2013–2017) * Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program (2013–2014) – investigated the death of four male workers, ninety-four house fires related to insulation, and allegations of fraud as a result of the implementation of the Home Insulation Program * Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption (2014–2015) *

Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory The Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory was a Royal Commission, royal commission established in 2016 by the Turnbull government following the Australia's Shame episode of Australian Broadcast ...

(2016–2017) *

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, also known as the Banking Royal Commission and the Hayne Royal Commission, was a royal commission established on 14 December 2017 by the Austral ...

(2017–2019) * Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (2018–2021) * Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (2019–2023) * Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements (2020) * Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme (2022–2023) *

Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is a royal commission established on 8 July 2021 by the Australian government pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902. The Governor-General, His Excellency David Hurley, issued thLetters ...

(2021–2024)

New South Wales

* Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service ("Wood Royal Commission") (1994–1997) – investigated police corruption in New South Wales *

Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking The Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking (1977–1979) or Woodward Royal Commission was a royal commission initiated by the New South Wales Government to investigate drug trafficking in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, especially links b ...

("Woodward Royal Commission") (1977–1980) – investigated drug trafficking in New South Wales, especially links between the Mafia and New South Wales Police and the disappearance of Donald Mackay * Royal Commission into New South Wales Prisons ("Nagle Royal Commission") (1976–1978) * Royal Commission of Inquiry in respect of certain matters relating to allegations of organised crime in clubs ("Moffitt Royal Commission") (1973–1974) – investigated organised crime in New South Wales * Chelmsford Royal Commission (1989–1990) – investigated patient deaths due to induced comas at the Chelmsford psychiatric hospital in Sydney during the 1960s and 1970s

Queensland

* Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct ("Fitzgerald Inquiry") (1987–1989) – investigated police corruption in Queensland *Grantham Flood Commission of Inquiry *Barrett Adolescent Centre Commission of Inquiry

South Australia

*Commission appointed by the Governor-in-Chief to inquire into the loss of the ''Admella'' (1859) *Royal Commission in regard to Rupert Max Stuart (1959) * Splatt Royal Commission (1983–1984) * Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission (1995) – investigated the legal and political controversy that involved the clash of Indigenous Australian religious beliefs and property rights regarding the construction of a bridge to Hindmarsh Island * Kapunda Road Royal Commission (2005) – investigated the circumstances of the hit-and-run death of Ian Humphrey and those of the trial and conviction of Eugene McGee * Child Protection Systems Royal Commission (2014–2016) – investigated the effectiveness of the child protection systems then in place * Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission (2015) – investigated opportunities and risks for South Australia * Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission (2018–2019) – investigated the operations and effectiveness of the Murray-Darling Basin system *Royal Commission into

Early Childhood Education Early childhood education (ECE), also known as nursery education, is a branch of Education sciences, education theory that relates to the teaching of children (formally and informally) from birth up to the age of eight. Traditionally, this is ...

& Care (2022–2023) *Royal Commission into

Domestic Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...

, Family and

Sexual Violence Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted Human sexual activity, sexual act, an attempt to obtain a sexual act through violence or coercion, or an act directed against a person's sexuality without their consent, by any individual regardless of ...

(2024–2025)

Victoria

*Royal Commission into the King Street Bridge failure (1962–1963) *Royal Commission into the

West Gate Bridge The West Gate Bridge is a steel, box girder, cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, spanning the Yarra River just north of its mouth into Port Phillip. It carries the West Gate Freeway and is a vital link between the Melbourn ...

collapse (1970–1971) *Royal Commission into the Longford gas plant accident (1998–1999) * 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission ("Black Saturday Royal Commission") (2009–2010) – investigated the events and conditions surrounding the

2009 Victorian bushfires The Black Saturday bushfires were a series of Bushfires in Australia, bushfires that either ignited or were already burning across the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria. Saturday, 7 February 2009 was one of Australia's all-time wor ...

* Royal Commission into Family Violence (2015–2016) * Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System (22 February 2019 – 2 March 2021) * Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants (2018–present)

Western Australia

* Royal Commission into alleged killing and burning of bodies of Aborigines in East Kimberley and into police methods when effecting arrests ("1927 Wood Royal Commission") (1927) – investigated the Forrest River massacre of Indigenous Australians * Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters ("WA Inc Royal Commission") (1990–1992) – investigated the collapse of

Bond Corporation Alan Bond (22 April 1938 – 5 June 2015) was an English-born Australian businessman noted for his high-profile and often corrupt business dealings. These included his central role in the WA Inc scandals of the 1980s; the biggest corporate co ...

, Rothwells, Bell Group, and other large businesses in Western Australia as well as government commercial enterprises * Royal Commission into the use of Executive Power ("Marks Royal Commission") (1995) to determine the circumstances of the tabling of a petition in a family law case and the alleged misleading of the Parliament of Western Australia by Carmen Lawrence * Royal commission into whether there has been corrupt or criminal conduct by any Western Australian Police Officer ("WA Police Royal Commission") (2002–2004) – investigated high-level corruption in the Western Australian police force

Northern Territory

(2016–2017). On 25 July 2016 Prime Minister Turnbull announced a Royal Commission would be established after an investigation by Four Corners uncovered serious mistreatment of inmates within the Northern Territory's juvenile detention system.

Bahamas

* Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking and Government Corruption (November 1983 – December 1984) (formerly ''The Commission of Inquiry Appointed to Inquire Into the Illegal Use of the Bahamas for the Transshipment of Dangerous Drugs Destined for the United States of America'') – A three-person Commission of Inquiry was appointed after US-television reports alleged the government was taking bribes from drug traffickers to look the other way as drugs flowed through the Bahamas bound for the United States.

Bahrain

Royal Independent Investigation Commission The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), also known locally in Bahrain as the Bassiouni Commission, was established by the King of Bahrain on 29 June 2011''Bahrain News Agency''" HM King Hamad Sets up Royal Independent Investigation c ...

(June 2011), to examine the episodes of civil disobedience and alleged human rights offences committed in the aftermath of the February 2011 protests.

Canada

Ceylon

Colebrooke–Cameron Commission The Colebrooke–Cameron Commission was appointed in 1833 as a Royal Commission of Eastern Inquiry by the British Colonial Office to assess the administration of the island of Ceylon and to make recommendations for administrative, financial, econo ...

Hong Kong

* Commission of Inquiry into the Construction Works at and near the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link Project (2019–2020) * Commission of Inquiry into Excess Lead Found in Drinking Water (2015–2016) * Commission of Inquiry into the Collision of Vessels near Lamma Island (2012) * Commission of Inquiry on Allegations relating to the Hong Kong Institute of Education (2007) * Commission of Inquiry on the New Airport (1998–1999) * Commission of Inquiry into the Garley Building Fire (1996–1997)

India

* Royal Commission on Opium (1895) * Royal Commission on Labour (1929) * Royal Commission on Agriculture (1928)

Malaysia

* Royal Commission on Salaries and Conditions of Service of the Public Service (1965) * Royal Commission of Inquiry to Investigate the Workings of Local Authorities in West Malaysia (1968) * Royal Commission on the Teaching Services (1971) * Royal Commission of Inquiry on the collapse of the upper deck of the Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth (1988) * Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate a fire at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Taufikah al-Halimah in Padang Lumat, Yan, Kedah (1989) * Royal Commission of Inquiry into the fire at the Bright Sparklers factory in Sungai Buloh New Village (1991) *

Royal Commission A royal commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue in some monarchies. They have been held in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia. In republics an equi ...

to investigate alleged injuries suffered by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim while in police custody (1999) * Royal Commission for Police Reform (2004) * Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video Clip (2007–2008) * Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Teoh Beng Hock case (2010–present) *

Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal ...

(2012–2014) * Royal Commission of Inquiry on Wang Kelian mass graves (2015–present) * Royal Commission of Inquiry into BNM forex losses (2017–present)

Mauritius

* Royal Commission on Slave Trade: Commissioners of Eastern Inquiry, Mauritius (1826–1828) * Fever Inquiry Commission in Mauritius (1866–1868) * Commission of Enquiry on living conditions of Indentured Coolies in Mauritius (1872–1874) * Commission of Enquiry into Unrest on Sugar Estates (Hooper Commission, 1937) * Commission of Enquiry into Disturbances in the North of Mauritius (Moody Commission, 1943) * Trustram-Eve Electoral Boundaries Commission (1957–1958) * Commission of Inquiry Sugar Industry by Balogh & Bennett (1962) * Banwell Commission on the Electoral System of Mauritius (1966) * Commission of Inquiry in corruption with Ministry of Social Security and Ministry of Cooperatives (1978–1979) * Commission of Enquiry on the Sugar Industry (1984) * Commission of Enquiry on Drugs (1986–1987) * Margo Commission of Enquiry on crash of South African Airways Flight 295 (1987) * Truth and Justice Commission on the lasting impact of slavery and indentured labour (2009–2011) * Commission of Inquiry on Horse Racing in Mauritius (2014–2016) * Commission of Enquiry on Drug Trafficking (2015–2018) * Commission of Inquiry on the sale of Britam and BAI (2017–ongoing) * Commission of Inquiry on violation of the Constitution and other laws by former President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim (2018–ongoing)

New Zealand

*Royal Commission on Mines (1911) *Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Ballantyne's fire (1947–1948) *Royal Commission on Accident Compensation (1966–1967), which produced the Woodhouse Report and led to the formation of the

Accident Compensation Corporation The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) () is the New Zealand Crown entity responsible for administering the country's No-fault insurance, no-fault accidental injury compensation scheme, commonly referred to as the ACC scheme. The scheme pro ...

in 1974 * Royal Commission on Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion (1975–1977) *Royal Commission into the Courts (1976–1978) * Royal Commission on Nuclear Power Generation in New Zealand (1976–1978) *Royal Commission on Maori Courts (1978–1980) *Royal Commission to Inquire into and Report upon the Circumstances of the Convictions of Arthur Allan Thomas for the Murders of David Harvey Crewe and Jeanette Lenore Crewe (1980–1981){{bsn, reason=seems to be a self-publisher source, date=March 2025 * Royal Commission of Inquiry into the crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 ( Erebus inquiry) (1980–1981) The findings were successfully appealed to the Privy Council, setting new legal standards for the conduct of royal commissions. * Royal Commission into Certain Matters Related to Drug Trafficking (1982–83) * Royal Commission on the Electoral System (1984–1986) – investigated the electoral system, and led to New Zealand adopting the

mixed member proportional Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP or MMPR) is a type of representation provided by some mixed electoral systems which combine local winner-take-all elections with a compensatory tier with party lists, in a way that produces p ...

voting system in 1993 * Royal Commission on Broadcasting and Related Telecommunications (1985–1986) * Royal Commission on Social Policy (1986–1988) * Royal Commission on Genetic Modification (2000–2001) to look into and report on the issues surrounding genetic modification in New Zealand * Royal Commission on Police Conduct (2004–2007) * Royal Commission on Auckland Governance (2007–2009) *Royal Commission on the Pike River Mine tragedy (2011–2012) *Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failures Caused by Canterbury Earthquakes (2011–2012) * Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care (2018–2024) *Royal Commission of Inquiry into

Christchurch mosque shootings Two consecutive mass shootings took place in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. They were committed by a single perpetrator during Friday prayer, first at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, at 1:40p.m. and almost immediately afterwards ...

(2019–2020) * Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned

United Kingdom

{{Incomplete list, date=August 2015 * Royal Commission for inquiring into the nature and extent of the Instruction afforded by the several Institutions in Ireland established for the purpose of Education (1824) * Royal Commission on the Poorer Classes in Ireland (1833) * Royal Commission on the Criminal Law (1833–1845) *Royal Commission of Inquiry into the condition of the Hand-loom Weavers in England and Wales, Gloucestershie section (W. A. Miles, c. 1938) * Royal Commission of Inquiry into Children's Employment (1840–1843){{cite web , url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol9/pp28-41#h2-0012 , title=List of commissions and officials: 1840–1849 (nos. 29–52) , date=2019 , publisher=

Institute of Historical Research The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate Hou ...

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

Royal Commission on Railway Gauges The United Kingdom Royal Commission on Railway Gauges was held in 1845 to choose between the broad gauge of the Great Western Railway and its associated companies and the so-called narrow gauge (now known as standard gauge) of that had been inst ...

, access-date=14 June 2021 * Royal Commission on Oxford University (1850–1852) * Royal Commission on Cambridge University (1850–1852) * Royal Commission on Divorce Law (1850–1853) * Royal Commission on Chancery (1850–1856) *

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 is an institution founded in 1850 to administer the Great Exhibition, Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, which was held in The Crystal Palace, London. The founding Presid ...

(1850) – planned the

Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition that took ...

; it still exists as a charitable body endowed by the proceeds * Royal Commission on the Corporation of the City of London (1853–1854) – led to the establishment of the

Metropolitan Board of Works The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the upper tier of local government for London between 1856 and 1889, primarily responsible for upgrading infrastructure. It also had a parks and open spaces committee which set aside and opened up severa ...

, the first London-wide local government body * Royal Commission on County Courts (1853–1855) * Royal Commission on Birmingham Borough Prison (1853–1854) * Royal Commission on Bankruptcy Law (1853–1854) * Royal Commission on Leicester County Gaol (1853–1854) * Royal Commission on Newcastle Cholera (1853–1854) * Royal Commission for Consolidating the Statute Law (1854–1859) * Royal Commission on the Health of the Army (1856–1857) based on

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during th ...

's reports on medical care during the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

* Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom (1859) * Royal Commission on the State of Popular Education in England (1858–1861) (the

Newcastle Commission The Newcastle Commission set up in 1859 inquired "into the state of public education in England and to consider and report what measures, if any, are required for the extension of sound and cheap elementary instruction to all classes of the people ...

) – looked into the state of public education in England in order to report what measures were required "for the extension of sound and cheap elementary instruction to all classes of the people" * Royal Commission on Transportation and Penal Servitude (1863) * Royal Commission on the Sanitary State of the Army in India (1863) * Royal Commission on the Public Schools (1861–1864) (the Clarendon Commission) – looked into the state of nine old-established public schools * Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (1864–1866) *

Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts (widely known as the Historical Manuscripts Commission, and abbreviated as the HMC to distinguish it from the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England), was a United Kingdom Royal Co ...

Royal Commission on the Amalgamation of the City and County of London The Royal Commission on the Amalgamation of the City and County of London was a royal commission which considered the means for amalgamating the ancient City of London with the County of London, which had been created in 1889. The commission repor ...

(1889–1894) * Royal Commission on Labour (1891–1892) * Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into the Water Supply of the Metropolis (1891–1893) * Royal Commission on Secondary Education (1895) (the Bryce Commission) * Royal Commission on Indian Expenditure (1896) *

Royal Commission on Tuberculosis The Royal Commission on Tuberculosis (1896–1898), also known as the First Royal Commission on Tuberculosis, was an early investigation into the history of tuberculosis (TB). On 25 April 1895 the report was published as a parliamentary paper. ...

(1896–1898) (the First Royal Commission on Tuberculosis) * Royal Commission on Sewage Disposal (1898–1912) * Royal Commission on Water Supply within the Limits of the Metropolitan Water Companies (1899) – led to the creation of the

Metropolitan Water Board The Metropolitan Water Board was a municipal body formed in 1903 to manage the water supply in London, UK. The members of the board were nominated by the local authorities within its area of supply. In 1904 it took over the water supply functio ...

* Royal Commission on the Port of London (1900–1902) * Royal Commission on South African Hospitals (1901) *

(1901–1911) (the Second Royal Commission on Tuberculosis) * Royal Commission on University Education in Ireland (1901–1903) * Royal Commission on the War in South Africa (1902–1903) (the ''Elgin Commission'') * Royal Commission on Superannuation in the Civil Service (1903) * Royal Commission on London Traffic (1903–1905) * Royal Commission on the Control of the Feeble-Minded (1904) * Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress (1905–1909) *

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) was an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government that was "sponsored" inanced and with oversightthrough Historic Scotland, an executive ...

(1908–2015) *

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; ; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectural and historic environment of Wales. ...

(1908–present) *

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal ...

(1908–1999) * Royal Commission on the Registration of Title in Scotland (1910) * Royal Commission on Public Records (1910–1918) * Royal Commission on Divorce and Matrimonial Causes (1912) * Royal Commission on Fuel and Engines (1912) * Royal Commission on Vivisection (1912) * Royal Commission on the Housing of the Industrial Population of Scotland, Rural and Urban (1917) (the Ballantyne Commission) iarchive:reportofroyalcom00scotric * Royal Commission on the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge (1919) (the Asquith Commission) *

Royal Commission on London Government The Royal Commission on London Government, also known as the Ullswater Commission, was a Royal Commission which considered the case for amendments to the local government arrangements in the County of London and its environs. The commission was ch ...

(1921–1923) (the Ullswater Commission)) * Royal Commission on Cross River Traffic in London (1926) * Royal Commission on Agriculture in India (1926–1928) * Royal Commission on Land Drainage (1927), chaired by Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe – suggested sweeping changes in the administration of land drainage which were embodied in the Land Drainage Act 1930 * Royal Commission on Police Powers and Procedure (September 1928 – March 1929){{cite journal , last1=Wood , first1=John Carter , title=Press, Politics and the 'Police and Public' Debates in Late 1920s Britain , journal=Crime, Histoire & Sociétés / Crime, History & Societies , date=2012 , volume=16 , issue=1 , page=78 , url=https://www.jstor.com/stable/42708852 , jstor=42708852 , access-date=23 August 2020 , issn=1422-0857 * Royal Commission on Local Government (1929) * Royal Commission on the Civil Service (1929–1931) * Royal Commission on Transport (1932) * Royal Commission on the University of Durham (1935), chaired by Lord Moyne * Royal Commission on Tithe Rentcharge in England and Wales (1936) * Palestine Royal Commission (1937) * Rhodesia-Nyasaland Royal Commission (1937–1939) (the Bledisloe Commission) – examined the possible closer union of

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally known as South ...

Northern Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate in Southern Africa, now the independent country of Zambia. It was formed in 1911 by Amalgamation (politics), amalgamating the two earlier protectorates of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and North ...

and

Nyasaland Nyasaland () was a British protectorate in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After ...

, and recommended a union of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland but ruled out any political amalgamation involving Southern Rhodesia due to its overtly racial policies. The Commission's recommendations were not put in place owing to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. * Royal Commission on the Distribution of the Industrial Population (1940) * Royal Commission on the Press (1947–1949) * Royal Commission on Betting, Lotteries and Gaming (1949–1951) * Royal Commission on Population (1949) * Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (1949–1953) (the Gowers Commission) * Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs (1952–1954) * Royal Commission on the Civil Service (1953–1955) * Royal Commission on Marriage and Divorce (1956) *

Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, also known as the Herbert Commission, was established in 1957 and published its report in 1960. The report made recommendations for the overhaul of the administration of the capital. They ...

(1957–1960) (the Herbert Commission) – made recommendations for the overhaul of the administration of the capital that were implemented in a modified form by the

London Government Act 1963 The London Government Act 1963 (c. 33) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which created Greater London and a new local government structure within it. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the ...

* Royal Commission on the Press (1961–1962) * Royal Commission on the Police (1962) * Royal Commission on Medical Education (1965–1968) * Royal Commission on Local Government in England (1966–1969) (the Redcliffe–Maud Commission) * Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland (1966–1969) (the Wheatley Commission) – made recommendations that led to a new system of regional and district councils in Scotland, implemented in 1975 under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament (UK), act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government of Scotland, local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The act followed and largely impleme ...

Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations The Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations (also known as the Donovan Commission) was an inquiry into the system of collective UK labour law, chaired by Lord Donovan and heavily influenced by the opinions of Hugh Clegg. Its ...

(1968) * Royal Commission on the Constitution (1969–1973) (the Kilbrandon Commission or Crowther Commission) * Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (1970–2011) * Royal Commission on the Press (1974–1977) * Royal Commission on Standards of Conduct in Public Life (1974–1976) * Royal Commission on Legal Services (1976) (the Benson Commission) * Royal Commission on Civil Liability and Compensation for Personal Injury (1973–78) (the Pearson Commission) * Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth (1977–1979) *

Royal Commission on the National Health Service The Royal Commission on the National Health Service was a Royal commission set up by the Wilson government in 1975. It was to consider the "best use and management of the financial and manpower resources of the NHS". The Royal Commission reporte ...

(1975–1979), chaired by Sir Alec Merrison *

Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roya ...

(1981) * Royal Commission on Criminal Justice (1991) * Royal Commission on Long Term Care for the Elderly (1998) * Royal Commission on the Reform of the House of Lords (1999)

References

{{reflist, 30em Administrative law Public inquiries Government commissions