Former Australian intelligence chief Dennis Richardson has stepped down from his advisory role in a royal commission investigating antisemitism and the deadly terrorist attack in Sydney.
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, was established in January following the antisemitic terrorist attack at a Chanukah event at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, 2025.
Bell stated on Wednesday that Richardson had been “uniquely well placed” to advise the commission on what information should be sought from Australia’s intelligence and security agencies to assess their preparedness for, and response to, the attack. She thanked Richardson “for the valuable contribution he has made to the Commission.”
Richardson previously served as director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, secretary of the Department of Defence and Australia’s ambassador to the United States. He was initially appointed to conduct a rapid review of the response by intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, a task later incorporated into the broader royal commission.
Bell stated that the senior members of Richardson’s team—Tony Sheehan, a former Commonwealth counterterrorism coordinator and deputy director-general of ASIO, and Peter Baxter, a former deputy secretary at the Department of Defence and director-general of AusAID—will remain with the commission to help prepare its interim report.
The commission is expected to deliver that report by April 30, with a final report due before the first anniversary of the attack.
Richardson has not publicly explained his departure. Unverified claims circulating on social media allege that he resigned out of frustration that some government agencies were resisting participation in the investigation.
