Abuse inquiry gets maximum legal powers

THE states have agreed to give the royal commission into child sexual abuse maximum legal powers to conduct investigations.

THE states have agreed to give Julia Gillard's royal commission into child sexual abuse maximum legal powers to conduct their investigations and have set an 18-month timetable for the inquiry to provide an initial report to the governments.

The Prime Minister said the state premiers were "predisposed" to issue letters patent to bolster the legal powers of the royal commission, declaring terms of reference would be announced before the end of the year.

Letters patent are a legal instrument that would grant particular rights to the inquiry.

Ms Gillard said all governments had expressed support and had undertaken to co-operate with the commission.

She said the inquiry would be an important element in the healing process for members of the community.

Under the agreement, officials who had worked on previous state inquiries would be consulted on the shape of the federal inquiry.

In a communique following the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra yesterday, the meeting declared it was a national priority to identify what further systemic responses were necessary to protect children from sexual abuse in institutional contexts and ensure appropriate responses to abuse.

The COAG communique also agreed it was important that those who had been affected by child sexual abuse and related matters in institutions could share their experience "to assist with healing".

The meeting also agreed that the royal commission would respect the work of a number of current inquiries and have regard to the findings of other previously completed inquiries.

The states agreed to work towards the development of draft letters patent for the consideration of the Governor-General and state governors before the end of the year, subject to the finalisation of the terms of reference. Ms Gillard said the governments would work co-operatively on the inquiry but the commonwealth would bear the costs.