Virginia Bell

Virginia Bell

Australia AustraliapoliticianFemale5.3Global Dominance: 0.01%

Virginia Bell is a distinguished Australian lawyer and former judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. She is known for her significant contributions to the judiciary and her work on various legal inquiries, including her recent appointment as a royal commissioner to investigate issues surrounding free speech in Australia. Her inquiry comes in light of recent controversies, including debates over provocative political expression and its impact on community relationships, underscoring her role in navigating complex legal and societal issues.

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Recent news mentions

Virginia Bell is the commissioner to whom Shadi Alsuleiman presented his concerns about Islamophobia and antisemitism.

Sheikh tells of push to train Imams in Australia
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-08-07
5.0

Commissioner Virginia Bell AC on Thursday heard evidence from parents speaking under pseudonyms, educators within the Jewish school systems and Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal.

Students make cruel taunts to Jewish classmates, inquiry hears
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-30
7.0

Commissioner Virginia Bell hears about the experience of Jewish Australians in the healthcare sector.

RBA interest rate rise fear falls as inflation eases in June; Japan earthquake hits Kyushu island, kills three; Ben Carroll on first day as Victorian Premier after Jacinta Allan resigns
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-29
5.0

Virginia Bell explicitly recommended a national buyback in her interim report from the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

Behind Anthony Albanese’s three errors that leave Bondi shooting victims’ families in the dark
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-24
5.0

Commissioner Virginia Bell was involved in the discussions regarding the antisemitism royal commission.

Jewish community leader tells of his children’s fear inside their home
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-23
5.0

Commissioner Virginia Bell was present during the testimonies regarding security needs in Jewish schools.

Leaders of Mount Scopus College and Bialik College in Melbourne tell of increased security bills
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-21
5.0

Commissioner Virginia Bell twice stepped in to stop questions being asked of him by the lawyer for seven Jewish communal organisations.

University of Sydney boss apologises to Jewish students over protest camp
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-15
6.0

Commissioner Virginia Bell was present during the hearings where Professor Prawer testified.

Professor Steven Prawer and campus leaders testify on Jewish student safety and university responses
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-14
5.0

Commissioner Virginia Bell said the hearings were taking place in Melbourne because it was the location of Australia’s largest Jewish population.

Jewish student shares harrowing experience of campus harassment and fear
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-13
7.0

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, led by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell, will also this week hear from Jewish students and academics about their experiences of antisemitism on campus.

Universities will be required to act against antisemitism and other forms of abuse
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-07-12
6.0

Virginia Bell, the former judge, rejected the government's request to keep certain documents related to the investigation secret.

"אפילו במדינות מוסלמיות לא ראיתי שנאה כזו ליהודים כמו באוסטרליה"
ידיעות אחרונות (Yedioth Ahronoth / ynet)·IsraelIsrael· 2026-07-09
6.0

Royal commissioner Virginia Bell is involved in the investigation regarding the government's counter-terrorism resource allocation.

Government confirms bid to hide counter-terror details from royal commission
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-05-28
5.0

Virginia Bell has assured survivors of the Bondi Beach massacre the royal commission she leads will probe how long it took police to respond to the shooting.

Virginia Bell assures victims’ families she will probe security, police delays
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-02-26
8.0

Virginia Bell is described as a royal commissioner with a similar vibe to Kenneth Hayne.

Mark Zuckerberg should be dragged in front of this royal commission
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-02-24
5.0

Virginia Bell delivered a reality check on the first day of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion in Australia.

Royal Commission into antisemitism faces challenges and constraints
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-02-24
7.0

Virginia Bell is the head of the royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack and antisemitism.

Virginia Bell reveals plan for Bondi shooting inquiry
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-02-24
8.0

Virginia Bell is the royal commissioner overseeing the inquiry into the Bondi Beach massacre and antisemitism in Australia.

Five key questions on antisemitism, shooters Naveed, Sajid Akram and more
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-02-23
8.0

The former High Court justice running the probe, commissioner Virginia Bell, has met Jewish community leaders.

John Frydenberg’s hope for royal commission on antisemitism following Bondi Beach attack
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-02-21
6.0

Burgess cautioned against using the benefit of hindsight to declare that an intelligence failure led to the attack, in which 15 people were shot dead and dozens of others were injured at a Hannukah celebration on Bondi Beach.

Mike Burgess defends agency's handling of Akram brothers before massacre
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-02-10
5.0

Former High Court judge Virginia Bell was hand-picked to be commissioner for the royal commission.

ABC staff told not to delete emails, documents relating to antisemitism, extremism
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-02-06
7.0

Justice Virginia Bell is the commissioner heading the royal commission.

Sydney silk appointed as royal commission’s lead lawyer as inquiry gets under way
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-01-29
7.0

Virginia Bell was appointed to lead a royal commission into the Bondi Beach attack.

Gregory Williams Tait in court over allegedly threatening to kill Anthony Albanese after Bondi shooting
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-01-14
8.0

Former High Court justice Virginia Bell will lead the national inquiry.

Man arrested in Bondi after reports of duct-tape vests examined by bomb disposal unit
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-01-11
7.0

Virginia Bell begins her inquiry into free speech.

Cathy Wilcox cartoon was divisive, and The Herald apologises for the hurt it has caused
The Sydney Morning Herald·AustraliaAustralia· 2026-01-11
5.0