While parliamentary committees almost 200 years old in NSW, don’t worry – you’re not the only one who is unsure what they do.
The Parliament appoints committees made up of members (those not holding senior offices such as a Minister) to inquire into current issues and proposed new laws.
They can look into:
- social or legal issues
- proposed government activities
- and the budgets and expenditures of government departments
These committees hold hearings where they hear from witnesses about the issue they are looking into. The different elements of a committee are pictured below as they appear in a hearing:
Parliamentary Committees are part of the syllabus for legal studies and commerce students and covered in the below pages:
