Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking

Appointed by Letters Patent of 25 June 1981, issued by the Administrator of the Commonwealth, Sir Stanley Burbury, on the advice of the Fraser government. Justice Donald Gerard Stewart of the Supreme Court of New South Wales was to inquire into the drug-related activities of Terrence John Clark, named in the Melbourne coroner’s finding of 29 August 1980 on the deaths of Douglas and Isabel Wilson, his associates, their methods and use of financial institutions, and any corruption of Commonwealth or state officers. New South Wales (24 June 1981), Queensland (25 June 1981) and Victoria (30 June 1981) issued parallel commissions, and New Zealand appointed him on 11 March 1982.

Legislation: Royal Commissions Act 1902

1. 11 March 1982New Zealand appointed Stewart to inquire into transfers of Clark’s drug money to New Zealand.

Reported in February 1983. Its 40 recommendations dealt largely with passport fraud: applicants to attend a passport office in person, passports only for citizens, tighter proof of identity and registration of changes of name; most were adopted, but a national fingerprint-based identity system was not. Stewart’s Letters Patent were later varied to inquire into the Nugan Hand Group (1983) and into alleged telephone interceptions (1985), which are recorded as separate commissions. The Parliamentary Handbook gives 31 May 1983 as the date the final report was presented.

• Inquiry into the drug trafficking activities of Terrence John Clark and associates
• Inquiry into corruption of officials and interference with justice
• Review of passport issue and identity verification

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Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.