The NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ Hate Crimes (1970-2010) and Police Accountability

The impetus for the establishment of special commissions of inquiry and royal commissions is symptomatic of injustices that a government deems require independent and impartial scrutiny. Building an evidence base of narratives of injustice can be a key driver in generating parliamentary recognition of such injustices. This article documents and analyses the community and parliamentary impetus for the establishment of the New South Wales Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes 1970-2010 (SCOI) and its relationship to police accountability. The article analyses the SCOI's role in reconciling past wrongs through future actions in six key areas: (1) evidence-gathering and investigation; (2) flexibility in adapting to diverse subject matters and procedural needs; (3) public engagement; (4) the creation of authoritative and transparent records of systemic failures of historical injustice; (5) the promotion of systematic reforms; and (6) restoration of public trust through transparent processes and validation of victim experiences. In doing so, the article recognises the contribution of the SCOI, and of LGBTIQ organisations, individuals and their allies in building the narrative evidence of injustice for LGBTIQ victims of hate crime, and the growing role of commissions in engaging victims in truth-telling.