Free legal support available as Royal Commission deadline approaches

National Legal Aid is providing a free national legal service is encouraging Australians with experiences of antisemitism to seek advice before making submissions to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

The call comes as the inquiry approaches its first hearings and a May 30 submission deadline. The Royal Commission Legal Assistance Service, run by National Legal Aid and funded by the federal government, provides free, independent and confidential legal advice to people engaging with the inquiry.

The Commission’s first hearing block will be held in Sydney from May 4 to 15, with survivors and victims of antisemitism expected to be central to the evidence. Commissioner Virginia Bell has said it is “vital” that the inquiry hear directly from Australians who have experienced antisemitism first-hand.

Service director Judith Levitan said the program was set up to help people deal with practical and legal concerns before sharing their experiences.

“This service has been set up specifically to assist people to engage with the Royal Commission into antisemitism and social cohesion,” Levitan said.

“We provide legal advice. We also provide legal information and referrals, for example, to counselling or mental health services, around issues relating to engaging with the Royal Commission.”

Levitan said many people were worried about confidentiality, privacy and what might happen to their information once it is provided.

“We’ve seen a lot of queries around confidentiality, people wanting to maintain their confidentiality,” she said.

“People want to know what happens to the information that they share with the Royal Commission, where that information is going to be stored or how their information will be protected.”

Levitan said people with concerns, including those naming employers, colleagues or organisations, should get legal advice before submitting.

“There could be very specific legal issues there, depending on whether or not there’s a dispute on foot or depending on what the terms of a person’s contract are,” she said.

“We work with people to ensure that they can do it in a safe way.”

She said the service can explain options around confidentiality, anonymity and whether a submission is made public.

“We can explain all those options and how they may want to take them up to ensure they’re sharing their information in a safe way.”

The service also helps people draft submissions and understand whether their experiences are relevant to the Commission’s terms of reference.

“The Commission has specifically come out and said that it wants to hear directly from people about their experiences of antisemitism,” Levitan said.

“The other point to note is that the Commission is looking for trends and patterns to build up a picture of the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in Australia.

“Providing your experience contributes to that bigger picture.”

She said people should not assume their experience is too minor to matter.

“The Commission can only make findings with the information that it’s provided with,” she said.

“If people provide the Commission with information about their lived experience of antisemitism, then there is that information that the Commission can then take and further consider.”

Levitan said the Bondi attack may have prompted many people to speak, but the inquiry reaches far beyond that event.

“Bondi was the catalyst for people to talk about the nature of antisemitism that they’ve experienced,” she said.

“The focus can also be on not only incidents that have occurred, but the impact on people.”

That includes the effect of antisemitism on safety, belonging, wellbeing and participation in Jewish life.

“People can write about their experience of attending Jewish functions or Jewish venues and also the impact on their behaviour,” Levitan said.

The service has 13 lawyers across Australia and draws on National Legal Aid’s experience supporting people through previous Royal Commissions.

“Every time there is a Royal Commission, the Commonwealth funds National Legal Aid and the legal aid commissions to provide a service to assist people to engage,” Levitan said.

“We’ve got that expertise and experience from assisting people in past Royal Commissions, and we’ve also got a national reach.”

Levitan said the lawyers had been trained to provide support in a sensitive way.

“The lawyers that we have working on the service have all been trained in being trauma-informed,” she said.

“They also all have undertaken antisemitism awareness training through the Sydney Jewish Museum.

“We are well placed to deliver a trauma-informed and culturally appropriate service for people.”

The Royal Commission was established on January 9, 2026, with former High Court Justice Virginia Bell appointed as Royal Commissioner. Its interim report is due on April 30, and its final report is due on December 14, the first anniversary of the Bondi attack.

Levitan said people should understand both the importance and limits of the inquiry.

“A Royal Commission can make findings and can set out recommendations about how policy and law should change, but the Royal Commission can’t itself implement those policies or legal changes,” she said.

“That is up to the government.”

Even so, she said the process matters.

“A Royal Commission is the highest form of public inquiry that we have in Australia,” she said.

“Royal Commissions are there to provide an opportunity to investigate important social issues. “I would encourage people to participate in this process.”

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For assistance on submissions to the Royal Commission, click here to contact National Legal Aid or call 1800 976 198.