The Royal Commission took the preventative measure of cancelling its second and final round of public hearings in response to COVID-19. The public hearings were scheduled to commence in late-April 2020 and to run for four weeks. You can read the full statement from the Commission here.
Collection of witness statements
The Commission continued to work with witnesses on the preparation of witness statements. While the hearings did not proceed as planned, these witness statements were formal evidence before the Commission that informed the Commission's ongoing work and the final report.
Information has been removed from some witness statements for privacy, legal and other reasons, and in some cases pseudonyms have been used.
Themes
The Commission collected witness statements from consumers, families and carers and a range of other individuals who were due to give evidence at the hearings.
Witness statements collected in 2020 include ideas for a more contemporary and responsive mental health system based on a number of themes relevant to the Commission's letters patent.
You can read a list of these themes here.
Please note that witness statements collected by the Royal Commission in 2020 largely present information in response to matters requested by the Royal Commission, except where the individual is sharing their lived experience.
Support
If you are upset by any content on this website, you can visit the contacts page for a list of support services.
Read witness statements
Witness statements are published below, alphabetically by surname. Click on a letter to show statements.
A
B
- Barker, Lucy - Restricted Publication Order - PDF
- Bartholomeusz, Nicole (cohealth) - PDF
- Bateman,
Rachel (pseudonym) – PDF (Restricted Publication Order – PDF)
- Bell AM QC, Honourable Professor Kevin – PDF
- Biondo, Sam (Victorian Alcohol and Drug
Association) - PDF
- Bonyhady
AM, Professor Bruce – PDF
- Braitberg AM, OStJ, Professor George (Royal Melbourne Hospital and Melbourne Health) – PDF
- Brogden
AM, John (Lifeline Australia) - PDF
- Brogden
AM, Lucy (National Mental Health Commission) – PDF
- Brophy, Professor Lisa – PDF
- Brown,
Rita (Australian BPD Foundation) - PDF (Restricted Publication Order –
PDF)
- Buckingham,
Bill - PDF
C
- Callaghan,
Amelia - PDF
- Carney
AO, Emeritus Professor Terry – PDF
- Carroll, Matthew (Mental Health Tribunal) – PDF
- Cassar, Dr Emma – PDF (Department of Justice & Community Safety)
- Castle,
Professor David – PDF
- Cementon,
Dr Enrico (NorthWestern Mental Health) – PDF
- Cleary,
Dr Kevin (Care Quality Commission) - PDF
- Clelland,
Angus (Mental Health Victoria) – PDF
- Coghill, Professor
David - PDF
- Coleman,
Leona (pseudonym) – PDF (Restricted Publication Order – PDF)
- Cook,
Karyn – PDF (Restricted Publication Order – PDF)
- Copolov AO, Professor David - PDF
- Corbett, Mary and Jacob - Restricted Publication Order - PDF
- Corney, Richard - PDF
- Coskun,
Aynur and Hafize – PDF
- Coulson
Barr OAM, Dr Lynne (Mental Health Complaints Commissioner) – PDF
- Coventry,
Dr Neil – Part 1, 2, 3, 4
- Croton,
Gary – PDF
D
E
F
G
H
- Hansen, Marion - PDF
- Harman, Georgie (Beyond Blue) – PDF
- Harms, Professor Louise – PDF
- Haskelberg,
Dr Hila - PDF
- Hatfield
Dodds, Lin – PDF
- Healy, Denna - PDF
- Heazlewood, Justin - PDF
- Hickie
AM, Professor Ian - PDF
- Hilton,
Kristen (Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission) - PDF
- Hiscock, Professor
Harriet - PDF
- Hollonds, Anne (Australian Institute of Family Studies) – PDF
- Holmes OAM, Douglas - PDF
- Hosch, Tanya (AFL) - PDF
- Humphrey, Cathy (Sacred Heart Mission and Council to Homeless
Persons) – PDF
I
J
K
L
M
- Marmot, Professor Sir Michael – PDF
- Marney,
Timothy – PDF
- Maylea, Dr Christopher (Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council) – PDF
- McCammon, Peta (Department of Justice and Community Safety) – PDF
- McFarlane AO, Professor Alexander – PDF
- McGorry
AO, Professor Patrick – PDF
- Meadows, Professor Graham - PDF
- Medson OAM, Sue (Gippsland Lakes Complete Health) – PDF
- Miller, Dr Robyn - PDF
- Moodie,
Professor Rob – PDF
- Moore,
Dr Tim – PDF
- Morgan,
Christine (National Mental Health Commission) - PDF
- Morrison
AO & Annese, David & Lisa (Diversity Council Australia) - PDF
- Mousaferiadis
& Burgess, Tass & Kent (Star Health) – PDF
- Moylan, Associate Professor Steven (Barwon Health)
- PDF
N
O
P
Q
- Quinlan , Frank – PDF
R
- Radford, Colin (WorkSafe Victoria) – PDF
- Radovini,
Associate Professor Alessandra - PDF
- Rees,
Professor Neil - PDF
- Reeves,
Kiba – PDF
- Reilly,
Dr John (Clinical Excellence Queensland) – PDF
- Renwick-Lau,
Dr Sara – PDF
- Robinson
, Aaron and Kristy (pseudonyms) – PDF (Restricted Publication Order – PDF)
- Roper, Cath - PDF
- Rosen
AO, Professor Alan – PDF
- Rowan, Jennifer - PDF
- Ryan,
Dr Christopher – PDF
S
- Sadler, Nicole
(Phoenix Australia) – PDF
- Sifis, Eva - PDF
- Silva, Michael
(pseudonym) – PDF (Restricted Publication Order – PDF)
- Singh
AM, Professor Emeritus Bruce - PDF
- Siskind, Associate Professor Dan - PDF
- Smith,
Jenny (Council to Homeless Persons) - PDF
- Solomon,
Shane - PDF
- Stafrace, Associate Professor Simon - PDF
- Sullivan,
Dr Danny – PDF
- Sundram,
Professor Suresh – PDF
- Symonds, Terry (Department of Health and Human Services) - PDF
- Szirom, Dr Tricia (Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council) - PDF
T
U
V
- Vine, Dr Ruth (Forensicare) – PDF
W
X
Y
Z
Community witness meetings
Our community witnesses were invited to have a one-on-one meeting with a Commissioner to discuss their statement in more detail. You can watch some of these meetings below. Hover over the images for details.
Panel hearings
Some witnesses participated in online panel hearings with Commissioners, led by the Commission's barristers, to help examine
some of the more contested themes and topics.
You can watch the panel hearings or read the transcripts below. Hover over the images for a short description.
Panel hearing - Transcripts
- Early intervention in adolescence and youth for good mental health throughout life with Amelia Callaghan, Dr Paul Denborough, Associate Professor Sandra Radovini - PDF
- Supporting people living with mental illness and alcohol and drug use with Dr John Reilly, Professor Dan Lubman, Dr Stefan Gruenert - PDF
- Supporting young people and adults living with mental illness who are in contact with the justice system with Dan Nicholson, Julie Edwards,
Dr Shaymaa Elkadi - PDF
- Statement from the Department of Justice and Community Safety - PDF
- Compulsory treatment with Dr Ruth Vine, Professor Lisa Brophy, Dr Chis Maylea, Matthew Carroll - PDF
- Supporting the next generation through good infant and child mental health with Professor David Coghill, Professor Harriet Hiscock, Professor Louise Newman - PDF
- Service configuration with Dr Margaret Grigg, Julie Anderson, Peter Kelly - PDF
- Enabling a contributing life with Dr Sarah Pollock, Cathy Humphrey, Dr Michael Fotheringham - PDF
- Community based mental health with Elizabeth Deveny, Associate Professor Stephen Moylan, Nicole Bartholomeusz - PDF