Former high court Chief Justice, Robert French, calls for Royal Commission into Bondi Beach terror attack

Former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Robert French, has called for a “whole of Australia” Royal Commission in response to last week’s terror attack at Bondi Beach.

Mr French described the incident as a moment of “surreal evil” that has generated a moral imperative for the nation.

In a statement released a week after the attack, Mr French — who also served as a judge of the Federal Court — said Australia must confront the conditions that gave rise to the violence.

“The attack on Jewish Australians at Bondi Beach was a moment of surreal evil,” Mr French said.

“It has given rise to a moral imperative on the Australian nation as a whole.”

He argued that to address the issue, we need to carefully look at how law enforcement and intelligence agencies operate, and whether better cooperation between federal, state, and international governments is needed.

“That is an imperative to consider the conditions which gave rise to the attack and the practical mechanisms which were or could have been available to Commonwealth and State agencies to prevent it,” he said.

“It requires consideration of the measures necessary to strengthen and add to those mechanisms including enhanced Commonwealth and State cooperation and cooperation with foreign governments and international agencies.

“Nor can we avoid a clear eyed further public examination of the nature and sources of antisemitism and what can be done to combat it.

“A most effective way of acknowledging and meeting the moral imperative generated by the Bondi Beach massacre would be the creation of a whole of Australia Royal Commission.

“This would enliven statutory powers in the various jurisdictions and require a report to each Australian government.”

Beyond security and prevention, Mr French said the events demanded a deeper public examination of antisemitism in Australia, which he described as “not just another species of racism or prejudice but as a societal evil with its own longstanding and bloody history”.

He suggested the commission could also be tasked with considering law reform, including gun laws and laws dealing with antisemitic speech and conduct.

“The events at Bondi Beach require a whole of Australia response which transcends politics,” Mr French said, adding that the independence of a Royal Commission would itself be “a powerful force for change”.

Mr French’s intervention adds to growing calls for a coordinated national response following the attack, as political leaders and community groups grapple with questions of security, social cohesion and the rise of antisemitism.