Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody

The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) (1987–1991) was a Royal Commission appointed by the Australian Government in October 1987 to study and report upon the underlying social, cultural and legal issues behind the deaths in custody of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders, in the light of the high level of such deaths. The Commission was conducted under the Commission of Inquiry (Deaths in Custody) Act 1987 as amended on 15 June 1988 and 15 June 1989. The inquiry into the deaths of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders after an arrest or conviction, whether by suicide, natural causes, medical conditions and injuries caused by police. The terms of reference for the inquiry limited it to such deaths between 1 January 1980 and 31 May 1989.

The Commission comprised 5 Commissioners: Patrick Dodson, D.J. O'Dea, Hal Wootten, AC, QC, L.F. Wyvill, QC and Elliott Johnston, QC. Hal Wootten was a former judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales;^[1] and Elliott Johnston was a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia.

Aboriginal activist Rob Riley was appointed Head of the Aboriginal Issues Unit of the Commission until Ruby Hammond was appointed to the position in 1990.^[2]

The Commission investigated 99 cases of Aboriginal deaths in custody between 1 January 1980 and 31 May 1989, including the death of rugby player Eddie Murray in 1981 at the Wee Waa police station,^[3] and the death of John Pat at Roebourne, Western Australia in 1983, of which commissioner Elliott Johnston was critical of the lack of any disciplinary charges against five officers implicated in the violent death of the 16-year-old Aboriginal boy—calling this "a most unsatisfactory state of affairs".^[4]

The final report of the Commission^[5] was published in April 1991. The Commission concluded that the 99 deaths investigated^[6] were not due to police violence:^[7]

"... the immediate causes of the deaths do not include foul play, in the sense of unlawful, deliberate killing of Aboriginal prisoners by police and prison officers. More than one-third of the deaths (37) were from disease; 30 were self-inflicted hangings; 23 were caused by other forms of external trauma, especially head injuries; and 9 were immediately associated with dangerous alcohol and other drug use. Indeed, heavy alcohol use was involved in some way in deaths in each of these categories. The chapter concludes that glaring deficiencies existed in the standard of care afforded to many of the deceased."

One of the outcomes of the Commission was the establishment of a National Deaths in Custody Monitoring and Research Program at the Australian Institute of Criminology.^[6]

References

↑ Swan, Jonathan (14 November 2012). "Wootten warns of unrealistic hopes for finding closure". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media.
↑ Buti (1999). "International law obligations to provide reparations for human rights abuses". Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law. 6 (4).
↑ Indigenous Law Resources, Reconciliation and Social Justice Library. "Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody". Retrieved 31 March 2014.
↑ John Peter Pat - 14.1.2 An Overview Royal Commission report, at Indigenous Law Resources, austlii.edu.au
↑ Reports of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
1 2 ABS: Year Book Australia, 2012
↑ "National Report Volume 1 - Chapter 3 The Findings of the Commissioners as to the Deaths". Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. AustLII Reconciliation and Social Justice Library. 1998. Retrieved 2006-05-17.

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Royal Commissions of the Commonwealth of Australia

1901–1920

1901–1910

1901–1905	to inquire into and report upon the arrangements made for the transport of troops returning from service in South Africa in the S.S. "Drayton Grange" (1902) on sites for the seat of government of the Commonwealth (1903) on the Bonuses for Manufactures Bill (1903–1904) on the butter industry (1904–1905) on the Navigation Bill (1904–1906) on the affray at Goaribari Island, British New Guinea, on the 6th of March, 1904 (1904) on customs and excise tariffs (1904–1907) on old-age pensions (1905–1906) on the tobacco monopoly (1905–1906)

1906–1910	on ocean shipping service (1906) British New Guinea—Royal Commission of inquiry into the present conditions, including the method of government, of the Territory of Papua, and the best means of their improvement (1906–1907) on secret drugs, cures, and foods (1906–1907) on postal services (1908–1910) on insurance (1908–1910) on stripper harvesters and drills (1908–1909) on Tasmanian customs leakage (1910–1911)

1911–1920

1911–1912	on the sugar industry (1911–1912) on the pearl-shelling industry (1912–1916) on the fruit industry (1912–1914)

1913–1914	to inquire into certain charges against Mr. Henry Chinn (1913) on Northern Territory railways and ports (1913–1914) on powellised timber (1913–1914) upon the Commonwealth electoral law and administration (1914–1915) on meat export trade (1914) on food supplies and trade and industry during the war (1914)

1915–1916	on mail services and trade development between Australia and the New Hebrides (1915) on Liverpool Military Camp, New South Wales (1915) on the charges made by D. L. Gilchrist concerning the construction of the western section of the Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta Railway (1916) to inquire into and report upon certain charges against the Administrator and other officers of the Northern Territory Administration (1916) on Federal Capital Administration (1916–1917)

1917–1918	on Java and the East Indies, Singapore and the Straits Settlements (1917–1918) on Navy and Defence Administration (1917–1919) on the war—Australian Imperial Force. Report as to number of members fit for active service and number of reinforcements and enlistments required (1918) on Public Service administration, Commonwealth of Australia (1918–1920) upon the public expenditure of the Commonwealth of Australia with a view to effecting economies (1918–1921) on taxation of leasehold estates in Crown lands (1918–1919) on the basic wage (1919–1920)

1919–1920	on the sugar industry (1919–1920) on industrial troubles on Melbourne wharfs (1919–1920) on late German New Guinea (1919–1920) to inquire into complaints by the munition worker passengers to Australia by the transport "Bahia Castillo" (1919) on Northern Territory Administration (1919–1920) on taxation (1920–1923) on the increase of the selling price of coal (1920)

1921–1940

1921–1930

1921–1922	on the matter of uniform railway gauge (1921) on pillaging of ships' cargoes (1921) on Cockatoo Island Dockyard (1921) upon the loyalty to the British Crown of German Nationals resident in Australia whose property is liable to a charge created by the Treaty of Peace Regulations made under the Treaty of Peace (Germany) Act 1919–1920 (1921)

1923–1924	on the circumstances attending the supposed loss at sea of the steamship "Sumatra" (1923) in connection with sugar purchases by the Commonwealth through Mr. W. E. Davies in September and October, 1920 (1923–1924) in connection with joinery supplied to the War Service Homes Commissioner in March, 1920 (1923–1924) on the Navigation Act (1923–1925) on national insurance (1923–1927) on the method for determining the unimproved value of land held under Crown leases (1924–1925) on the assessment of war service disabilities (1924–1925) to inquire into extracts from the reports in Parliamentary Debates of speeches made by Mr. Scullin in the House of Representatives on 7 and 19 August 1924, in relation to land tax matters (1924–1925) on the finances of Western Australia, as affected by Federation (1924–1925)

1925–1926	on health (1925–1926) on Norfolk Island affairs (1926) on certain matters in connexion with the British Phosphate Commission (1926)

1927–1928	on wireless (1927) on the Edie Creek (New Guinea) leases (1927) on the Moving Picture Industry in Australia (1927–1928) on the Constitution (Australia)

1929–1930	on the coal industry (1929) to inquire into allegations affecting members of the Parliamentary Joint Committee of Public Accounts in connexion with claims made by broadcasting companies against the Commonwealth Government (1930)

1931–1940

1931–1935	on Jacob Johnson (1931) on performing rights (1932–1933) on taxation (1932–1934) on mineral oils and petrol and other products of mineral oils (1933–1935) on the wheat, flour and bread industries (1934–1936) to inquire into and report upon the circumstances associated with the retirement of Lieutenant-Commander Alan Dermot Casey from the Royal Australian Navy (1934) to inquire into the monetary and banking systems at present in operation in Australia (1935–1937)

1936–1940	on doctors' remuneration for national insurance service and other contract practice (1938) regarding the contract for the erection of additions to the General Post Office, Sydney (1939)

1941–1960

1941–1950	to inquire into and report upon the contract or contracts with Abbco Bread Co. Pty. Limited for the supply of bread to the Department of the Army, and other matters (1941) to inquire into circumstances under which certain public monies were used and to whom, and for what purposes such moneys were paid (1941) an inquiry into a statement that there was a document missing from the official files in relation to "The Brisbane Line" (1943) to inquire into and report upon certain transactions of the Sydney Land Sales Control Office, and the Canberra Land Sales Control Office of the Treasury (1947) to inquire into certain transactions in relation to timber rights in the Territory of Papua-New Guinea (1949)

1951–1960	on the Port Augusta to Alice Springs Railway (1951–1952) on television (1953–1954) on espionage (1954–1955)

1961–1980

1961–1970

on alleged improper practices and improper refusal to co-operate with the Victoria Police Force on the part of persons employed in the Postmaster-General's Department in Victoria in relation to illegal gambling (1962–1963)
on loss of HMAS Voyager (1964)
on the statement of Lieutenant Commander Cabban and matters incidental thereto (1967–1968)
into exploratory and production drilling for petroleum in the area of the Great Barrier Reef (1970–1975)

1971–1980

1971–1975	Aboriginal Land Rights Commission (1973–1974) Australian Post Office Commission of inquiry (1973–1974) of Inquiry into land tenures (1973–1976) on petroleum (1973–1976) of Inquiry into the maritime industry (1973–1976) Independent Inquiry into Frequency Modulation Broadcasting (1973–1974) of Inquiry into transport to and from Tasmania (1974–1976) on Australian Government Administration (1974–1976) on human relationships (1974–1978) on intelligence and security (1974–1977) into alleged payments to maritime unions (1974–1976) to inquire into and report upon certain incidents in which Aborigines were involved in the Laverton area (1975–1976) on Norfolk Island (1975–1976)

1975–1980	of Inquiry into drugs (1977–1980) of Inquiry into matters in relation to electoral redistribution Queensland, 1977 (1978) of Inquiry into the efficiency and administration of hospitals (1979–1981) of Inquiry into the viability of the Christmas Island phosphate industry (1979–1980) on the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union (1980–1984)

1981–2000

1981–1990

1981–1985	of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking (1981–1983) into the activities of the Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation (1981–1982) into Australian meat industry (1981–1982) of Inquiry into the activities of the Nugan Hand Group (1983–1985) on the use and effects of chemical agents on Australian personnel in Vietnam (1983–1985) on Australia's security and intelligence agencies (1983–1985) of Inquiry into compensation arising from social security conspiracy prosecutions (1984–1986) into British nuclear tests in Australia (1984–1985) of inquiry into alleged telephone interceptions (1985–1986)

1986–1990	of inquiry into Chamberlain convictions (1986–1987) into grain storage, handling and transport (1986–1988) into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1987–1991)

1991–2000

of Inquiry into the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (1994–1995)
of Inquiry into the leasing by the Commonwealth of accommodation in Centenary House (1994)
of Inquiry into the relations between the CAA and Seaview Air (1994–1996)

2001–present

2001–2010	into HIH Insurance (2001–2003) into the Building and Construction Industry (2001–2003) to Inquire into the Centenary House Lease (2004) Inquiry into certain Australian companies in relation to the UN Oil-For-Food Programme (2005–2006) Equine Influenza Inquiry (2008)

2011–present	into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2013–present) into the Home Insulation Program (2013–2014) into trade union governance and corruption (2014–2015) into the Detention of Children in the Northern Territory (2016-present)

Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth)

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Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody

See also

References

External links