Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion
9 July 2026
In June 2026, the Law Council of Australia made a submission to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The submission addressed legal and policy aspects of the Royal Commission’s terms of reference, informed by Commissioner the Hon Virginia Bell AC SC’s Interim Report.
At the outset, the submission identified that the Law Council unequivocally condemns antisemitism and all forms of hate-driven conduct. Such conduct is incompatible with the rule of law; stands in direct opposition to the principles that underpin both our legal system and the legal profession; and causes profound harm to individuals, communities, and social cohesion at large. The submission also underlined the role of core rule of law principles and Australia’s human rights obligations for the Royal Commission’s inquiry.
Against this context, the submission considered existing criminal and civil law responses to antisemitism at Commonwealth, State and Territory levels, including racial vilification laws and recent amendments to hate speech frameworks. It considered the adequacy of existing mechanisms to regulate online platforms, including the role of the Online Safety Act and how to give effect to a meaningful duty of care. The submission also addressed national security and law enforcement powers, including whether existing settings were adequate and appropriately balanced by accountability and oversight mechanisms.
The Law Council made 17 recommendations directed at ensuring effective legislative and regulatory frameworks (including greater harmonisation across relevant federal, state and territory laws relating to racism and racially motivated hate and violence), addressing civil justice and other funding needs, ensuring appropriate safeguards and oversight mechanisms, and supporting non-legislative responses, including education and community engagement initiatives, to address the causes of antisemitism and strengthen social cohesion.
The Law Council emphasised that any resulting legal or policy reforms should be evidence-based, human rights-compliant and developed through appropriate consultation. It also reflected that meaningfully strengthening social cohesion depends on the strength of, and public confidence in, the institutional settings that underpin Australia’s democracy. The Law Council highlighted the crucial role of an independent judiciary, and as an extension, an independent legal profession to this end.
The Law Council is grateful for the input of the New South Wales Bar Association, the Law Society of New South Wales and its National Human Rights Committee which informed its submission.
Last Updated on 09/07/2026