VCAA Legal Studies The people and reform

The purpose of royal commissions is to provide advice or investigate an issue, through research and community input. They hear witnesses under oath, collect evidence and offer protection to people who co-operate. Ultimately, they hold people accountable for doing the wrong thing by law. They are powerful in addressing human rights issues through awareness-raising, leading to changes in the law and prosecution of wrongdoers. However, their recommendations are non-binding, which can impact their effectiveness. This was evidenced in the Royal Commission into the Detention and Protection of Children in the Northern Territory. This royal commission raised public awareness of issues relating to juvenile detention and led to changes in the juvenile justice system including increasing diversionary approaches to youth justice. However, because its recommendations are non-binding, it did not lead to the raising of the minimum age of criminal responsibility or to prosecution of those who violated the rights of the inmates of the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre.