A royal commission is limited by the terms of reference issued by the Governor or Governor-General. It cannot go beyond the terms of reference to conduct a separate investigation.

A royal commission cannot implement legal, governmental or policy changes itself. It can only make recommendations to the government.

A royal commission cannot make formal findings of civil liability or criminal guilt in respect of individuals or organisations. It cannot award compensation or impose criminal penalties (other than penalties for contempt of its proceedings).

While a royal commission cannot implement changes itself, its report and recommendations send a strong, public message to the government about the state of the matters it has considered and the changes it recommends. The government is usually expected to provide a response to the royal commission’s findings and recommendations. As royal commissions are not common, they usually attract media attention and accordingly can garner public pressure to act on the recommendations.