The two crucial concepts the judge did not mention launching the antisemitism royal commission

Updated February 24, 2026 — 4:06pm,first published 4:02pm

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Virginia Bell delivered a reality check on the first day of the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia. While never veering into self-pity or blame, she made clear she is operating in a constrained environment and the royal commission she leads cannot make everyone happy.

From a technological standpoint, the royal commission got off to a clunky start. The livestream broadcast of Bell’s opening statement started on mute; soon it froze and then went entirely dark for the journalists covering the event from a viewing room at the Law Courts building in Sydney.

These glitches felt symbolic of an inquiry that was not quite ready for showtime but had to perform anyway, one that is scrambling to establish itself in time to meet the timeframes the government has imposed upon it.

Bell used her 18-minute opening statement to outline four key facts about the way the royal commission will operate.

First, she made clear that her inquiry cannot undermine the criminal trial of gunman Naveed Akram, who is accused of killing 15 people and attempting to kill 40 others. If this limits her ability to examine one of the royal commission’s key terms of reference -........

© The Sydney Morning Herald