Royal Commission on Espionage
Petrov Royal Commission
3 May 1954 – 22 August 1955
Royal commission that inquired into Soviet espionage in Australia after the defection of Vladimir Petrov, a KGB officer at the Soviet Embassy in Canberra.
How it came into existence
Announced by Prime Minister Robert Menzies in the House of Representatives on 13 April 1954, after Petrov's defection, and appointed by Letters Patent dated 3 May 1954 under the Royal Commissions Act 1902. The commissioners were Justice W. F. L. Owen (chairman, Supreme Court of New South Wales), Justice R. F. B. Philp (Queensland) and Justice G. C. Ligertwood (South Australia). It inquired into the information and documents Petrov provided on Soviet espionage, and first sat in Canberra on 17 May 1954.
Changes during its life
- 17 May 1954First sitting, at the Albert Hall in Canberra.
- October 1954Interim report on the authenticity of Exhibits H and J (the documents later called "Document H" and "Document J") presented to the Governor-General.
- 14 September 1955Final report tabled in Parliament.
How it ended
The final report was presented to the Governor-General on 22 August 1955 and tabled on 14 September 1955. It found the Petrov documents genuine and that the Soviet Embassy had been used for espionage from 1943 until 1954, but no one was prosecuted as a result.
Main functions
- Examining the documents and evidence supplied by Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov
- Inquiring into Soviet intelligence activity and its Australian contacts
Lineage
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