55Conversion of Board of Inquiry into a Royal Commission

55 Conversion of Board of Inquiry into a Royal Commission (1) The Governor, by letters patent issued in accordance with section 5 to the members of a Board of Inquiry, may convert the Board of Inquiry into a Royal Commission. (2) If a Board of Inquiry is converted into a Royal Commission— (a) the members of the Board of Inquiry become commissioners; and (b) any members of staff of the Board of Inquiry become members of staff of the Royal Commission; and (c) any information or evidence given to or obtained by, and any documents and other things produced to, the Board of Inquiry are taken to have been given to, obtained by or produced to the Royal Commission; and (d) any notices to attend or notices to produce served by the Board of Inquiry that are still in force are taken to be notices to attend or notices to produce served by the Royal Commission; and (e) any arrangements or agreements entered into by or on behalf of the Board of Inquiry that are in force continue in force as if they had been entered into by or on behalf of the Royal Commission. (3) Subsection (2) is subject to the letters patent referred to in subsection (1). (4) The conversion of a Board of Inquiry into a Royal Commission takes effect on the day on which the letters patent are published in the Government Gazette under section 6. Division 2—Arrangements to facilitate Boards of Inquiry