How We Worked Te Āhua o Tā Mātou Mahi
This section provides guidance and information on how the Royal Commission conducted its Inquiry
Establishment
On 8 December 2022, the Government announced the appointment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to look at the lessons learned from Aotearoa New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 that should be applied in preparation for any future pandemic.
On 25 June 2024, the Government announced a second phase of the Inquiry that would look at some new topics of public importance, as well as taking a more detailed look at some aspects of the response assessed in the Inquiry’s first report.
The Royal Commission is led by three Commissioners and supported by a Secretariat.
The Government has set the terms of reference for the overall Inquiry, including outlining our primary focus and providing guidance in terms of the way we operate and the procedures we follow.
The Phases of the Royal Commission
After the 2023 election, the coalition Government indicated that it intended to expand the terms of reference for the Royal Commission. The terms of reference set out details about how the Royal Commission will operate, like what topics it should investigate.
On behalf of the Government, the Royal Commission consulted with the New Zealand public on the proposed expansion of the terms of reference from 8 February to 24 March 2024.
The Minister of Internal Affairs announced on 25 June 2024 that the Royal Commission would be conducted in two phases. Phase One would cover the original terms of reference of the Royal Commission, and would produce a report and conclude on 28 November 2024.
Phase Two began accepting evidence from 29 November 2024, and concluded its work on 26 February 2026.
To read the findings, lessons and recommendations from both phases of the Inquiry, please visit the Reports section of the Inquiry's website.