WITNESS EXPENSES fact sheet
The Royal Commission may call (otherwise known as summon) people to appear as witnesses at public hearings. If you are called as a witness, you can apply for expenses to cover certain costs of attending the hearing. The Office of the Royal Commission is responsible for administering witness expenses.
What do witness expense entitlements cover?
If you are called before a public hearing of the Royal Commission you may claim the following:
- a witness appearance fee, and
- remuneration (salary, wages or fees) that you have lost because you have had to attend the public hearing.
Witnesses who arecalled to appear because of their professional, scientific or other special skill or knowledge are entitled to an appearance fee of $1,174.90 per day. All other witnesses are entitled to receive an appearance fee of $123.90 per day.
If you live more than 50km away from the location of the public hearing, youcan claim the following entitlements (as agreed by the Office of the Royal Commission):
- travel costs, including for airfares or alternative transport options
- accommodation costs, and
- meals and incidental costs.
What amounts of money can I claim?
The amount that you can claim for each witness expense category is set out on the Royal Commission’s website: who live within 50km of the location of the public hearing are not entitled to claim travel, accommodation, meals and incidental costs.
How do I arrange travel and accommodation if required?
When you have been called as a witness and you live more than 50km from the location of the public hearing, an officer from the Office of the Royal Commission will contact you to arrange appropriate travel and accommodation details. Alternatively, you can contact the Office of the Royal Commission on the details below.
What if I need special assistance to attend the hearing, such as an interpreter?
Please contact the Office of the Royal Commission on the details below to discuss what special assistance arrangements the Office of the Royal Commission can assist you with.
How can I claim other witness expenses?
If the Royal Commission has called you as a witness, you can claim your witness appearance fee and loss of remuneration fee within 60 days after the date of the hearing by submitting an application form to the Office of the Royal Commission using the contact details below. Application forms are available to download from the Royal Commission’s website or you may request a copy of the application form directly from the Office of the Royal Commission. The Office of the Royal Commission will contact you to confirm when your witness expense entitlements have been processed and paid.
If you have any questions, or would like any further information, you can contact the Royal Commission by:
- Telephoning: 1800 604 604
- Emailing:
- Writing to: PO Box 4215, Kingston ACT 2604