Colleen Lewis

The Fitzgerald Legacy: Reforming Public Life in Australia and Beyond Colleen Lewis

Publisher Marketing: Twenty years ago, the Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct, commonly referred to as the Fitzgerald Inquiry after its chair Mr G. E. (Tony) Fitzgerald, QC, tabled its findings in the Queensland Parliament after an exhaustive and sensational two years of public investigation. It was the fifth inquiry into police related matters in Queensland in 25 years, and originally expected by the government of the day to last about six weeks. Its findings and recommendations continue to have a significant effect on many aspects of public life in Queensland and beyond. The Fitzgerald Inquiry blueprint for reform has influenced police and public sector reform in other Australian States and internationally. This edited collection recalls the events that led up to the Fitzgerald Inquiry and examines the extraordinary influence the 'watershed' inquiry has had on police and public sector reform at the state, national and international levels. It assesses the extent to which the inquiry's vision for reform has been implemented, and whether it is still a viable reform agenda for contemporary governance problems Contributor Bio:  Ransley, Janet Janet Ransley is a senior lecturer in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University. She has worked extensively in legal practice, and in providing research and policy advice for parliamentary and government agencies in Australia. Dr Ransley is the co-editor, with Tim Prenzler, of Police Reform: Building Integrity (2003).