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Assistance to witnesses appearing before the child sexual abuse royal commission

Tue Aug 20 2013

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was announced in November 2012 and will commence formal hearings soon. The Attorney-General’s Department is responsible for administering assistance to witnesses who are called, or given leave to appear, before a formal hearing of the royal commission.

Assistance for witnesses

The Attorney-General’s Department is administering assistance for witnesses giving evidence at a hearing of the royal commission. There are two types of assistance available:

  • payment of witness expenses; and
  • legal financial assistance.

Payment of witness expenses

All witnesses will be eligible to apply for payment of witness expenses if they are giving evidence as a witness at a hearing of the royal commission. Witness expenses include a daily appearance fee and may also include payments for travel, accommodation and lost income.

Legal financial assistance

Witnesses are eligible to apply for legal financial assistance if they are giving evidence as a witness (an individual, not an organisation) at a hearing of the royal commission.

Legal financial assistance is a grant to cover the reasonable costs of legal representation and disbursements in relation to providing evidence to the royal commission.

For more information

For the most current information on this assistance, including guidelines and application forms, please see the Attorney-General’s Department website.

If you have any questions please contact the department by email to RCfinass@ag.gov.au or call 02 6141 4770.

For all other information on the royal commission please visit the royal commission’s website: www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au

20 August 2013

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