Royal Commissions of Inquiry
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 289-307, 2002
31 Pages Posted: 21 Nov 2012
Date Written: January 19, 2002
Abstract
This article first examines the historical conditions surrounding the evolution of Royal Commissions of Inquiry, and the political and ideological functions that they may serve. The Royal Commissions of Inquiry established in Australia during the 1970s and 1980s to inquire into organized crime are discussed in order to explore possibilities for a general explanation of Royal Commissions. The conclusion reached is that Royal Commissions of Inquiry are an important component of official discourse and may perform a legitimation function for apparatuses of the state. However, Royal Commissions of Inquiry are too diverse in their effects to be tied down to a uniform explanatory model, whether based upon notions of crisis motivation or legitimation deficit.
Keywords: royal commissions, legitimacy, crisis motivation, organised crime
JEL Classification: K20, K40
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation