AUSTRALIA
ABC News
[with video]
The head of the royal commission into child sexual abuse has vowed to use its powers to override confidentiality agreements between victims and institutions if the information is necessary to its investigation.
The six commissioners appointed by the Federal Government to investigate allegations of systemic abuse within religious and state-run institutions have held their first face-to-face meeting in Sydney today.
Justice Peter McClellan says it is too early to say when public hearings will begin, adding the task before the commission is “complex and will take significant time”.
He has also sought to address public concerns about how the commission will deal with the issue of confidentiality agreements and whether it has the power to override them.
“We wish to emphasise that under the Royal Commission Act, the commission has powers to compel the production of evidence, including documents, and we will not hesitate in an appropriate case to exercise those powers,” Justice McClellan told reporters in Sydney.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.