Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner Act 2026

If the Commissioner has reasonable grounds to suspect that a person has evidence relevant to a special inquiry, the Commissioner may, by notice in writing, summon the person:

to attend a hearing at a time and place specified in the notice to:

give evidence relevant to the special inquiry; or

produce documents or things specified in the notice that are relevant to the special inquiry; and

to attend from day to day unless excused, or released from further attendance, by the Commissioner.

Failure to comply with a notice is an offence: see section 57.

The notice must:

be signed by the Commissioner; and

be served on the person required to attend the hearing.

A time specified in a notice must be at least 14 days after the notice is served on the person.

However, subsection (3) does not apply if the Commissioner reasonably believes that the circumstances to which the notice relates are urgent or serious.

For the purposes of sections 57 (failure to attend hearing, give information or produce documents etc.), 60 (legal professional privilege) and 61 (offences relating to claims for legal professional privilege), the power of the Commissioner under this section to require a person to give evidence, or produce a document or thing, includes the power to require the person to give evidence, or produce a document or thing, that is subject to legal professional privilege.

Under section 60, legal professional privilege is not a reasonable excuse for failing to produce the document etc. unless a court has found the document etc. to be subject to legal professional privilege or the Commissioner has accepted a claim for legal professional privilege.

Before a notice is served under subsection (1) on a person, in the person’s capacity as someone who is or has been a coroner or an officer or employee of a coroners’ court, the Commissioner must consider requesting the coroner or the coroners’ court to disclose information in accordance with section 45.

If the Commissioner serves a notice under subsection (1) on an official of a Commonwealth entity, the Commissioner must give a copy of the notice to:

if the official performs duties in, or services for, an Australian intelligence entity—the head of the Australian intelligence entity; or

in any other case—the accountable authority of the Commonwealth entity.

If the Commissioner serves a notice under subsection (1) on an officer or employee of a State body or a Territory body, the Commissioner must give a copy of the notice to the head (however described) of the body.