Who is Virginia Bell, the woman chosen to lead Bondi Beach terror attack royal commissionCaitlyn RintoulThe NightlyThu, 8 January 2026 2:48PMCommentsCommentsEmail Caitlyn Rintoul
From former High Court judge to a barrel girl with the comedy alter-ego “Ginger De Winter” — the woman appointed to lead the royal commission into Australia’s worst terror attack has had a colourful career spanning decades.
Virginia Bell has been hand-picked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after weeks of intense pressure to call a Federal probe.
The 74-year-old’s legal career started in Redfern Legal Centre in 1977 after she graduated from the University of Sydney, which led her to work as a community lawyer, barrister, senior counsel, law reform commissioner and judge.
She was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1984 and was appointed senior counsel in 1997.
She was then appointed a judge on the NSW Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in March 1999, working in the Common Law Division and from early 2008 in the Court of Appeal.
In February 2009, she became the fourth woman to be appointed to the High Court, serving until 2021.
She was also the court’s 48th judge. She was appointed as a companion of the Order of Australia for her service to judiciary and law in 2012.
Throughout her legal career, Ms Bell has been known for her advocacy for people who are economically or socially disadvantaged, including representing those charged for marching in the first Mardi parade in 1978.
In the 1990s, she made television and radio appearances, including hosting ABC’s Late Night Live and as a guest on the 1980s nostalgia program The Golden Years of Television.
Ms Bell previously led the investigation into Scott Morrison’s multiple-ministries scandal and presided over the Brown v Tasmania case, a landmark High Court ruling that struck down Tasmania’s anti-protest laws on constitutional grounds.
The ruling had then been cited directly as part of the NSW Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Minns Government’s bid to block pro-Palestine march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2025.
Rumours of Ms Bell’s candidacy had been met with widespread community concern, with former treasurer and Jewish Australian Josh Frydenberg among the loudest critics.
“It’s unthinkable the Prime Minister would choose a commissioner who did not have the total confidence of the Jewish community,’ he said.
However, in appointing Ms Bell on Thursday afternoon, Mr Albanese promoted her “deep experience and expertise” and labelled the royal commission as the “right format” after weeks of resisting calls for one.
“This is vital and we’re confident that Commissioner Bell has the deep experience and expertise to conduct her inquiry in such a way that meaningfully examines the impact of anti-Semitism on the daily life of Jewish Australians and works to promote social cohesion and to do this without providing a platform for others hatred,” he said.
Federal Attorney-General Michelle Rowland thanked Ms Bell for her “willingness to serve the Australian people by leading this important inquiry”.
“Ms Bell is an eminent and highly capable former Justice of the High Court of Australia and I have no doubt that she will examine the complex issues ahead with impartiality and precision,” she said.
“As the Prime Minister said, the royal commission will focus on four key areas of tackling anti-Semitism through investigating the nature and its prevalence in institutions and society, making recommendations to assist law enforcement and other agencies to respond to anti-Semitic conduct.”
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