Defence and Veteran Suicide

What is a Royal Commission?

A Royal Commission is a special type of investigation into a particular issue. It is independent from the Government and has certain features, including:

• a Commissioner or a number of Commissioners appointed to run the investigation
• special terms of reference that set out what the investigation covers
• a set period of time for the investigations, usually this can be extended
• public invitations to make written statements or give evidence in person about the issues
• public hearings
• broad powers requiring witnesses to attend hearings or to legally provide relevant documents
• releasing the findings of the investigation in a report, alongside recommendations for improvements.

At a federal level, a Royal Commission has powers under the Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth). Different laws apply at a state level. In NSW, a Royal Commission has powers under the Royal Commissions Act 1923 (NSW).

What did the Royal Commission investigate?

The Royal Commission investigated:

• systemic issues and any common themes among defence and veteran deaths by suicide, or defence members and veterans who have other lived experience of suicide behaviour or risk factors
• the contributing risk factors relevant to defence and veteran death by suicide, including the possible contribution of pre-service, service (including training and deployments), transition, separation and post-service issues
• the impact of culture within the ADF, the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs on defence members' and veterans' physical and mental wellbeing
• the role of non-government organisations, including ex-service organisations, in providing relevant services and support for defence members, veterans, their families and others
• protective and rehabilitative factors for defence members and veterans who have lived experience of suicide behaviour or risk factors
• any systemic issues in the current availability and effectiveness of support services for, and in the engagement with, families and others:
  • affected by a defence and veteran death by suicide, or
  • who have supported a defence member or veteran with lived experience of suicide behaviour or risk factors
• any systemic issues in the nature of defence members' and veterans' engagement with the Department of Defence, the Department of Veterans' Affairs or other Commonwealth, State or Territory government entities
• the legislative and policy frameworks, administered by the Department of Defence, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and other Commonwealth, State or Territory government entities, relating to the support services, claims and entitlements.

For more information, see the Final report on the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran suicide website. 

Who were the Royal Commissioners?

Mr Nick Kaldas PM was appointed as Chair of the Royal Commission.

Mr Kaldas was supported by two other Royal Commissioners:

• The Honourable James Douglas QC
• Dr Peggy Brown AO.

For more information, see The Commissioners on the Royal Commission in Defence and Veteran suicide website. 

What were the recommendations of the Royal Commission?

The Royal Commission released its final report on 9 September 2024.

The Royal Commission has made 122 recommendations aimed at preventing harm and supporting early intervention and recovery, improving support services, increasing institutional capability, and improving transparency and oversight across agencies and institutions responsible for the health and wellbeing of serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families. 

You can find the Final Report on the Royal Commission into Defence and Suicide website.