List of Canadian royal commissions

They are appointed by the governor-in-Council (Cabinet), according to the Inquiries Act, by an order-in-Council that includes the names of the commissioners, the terms of reference, and the body's powers; commissions are often referred to informally by the name of the chairperson or commissioner(s), such as the "Gomery Inquiry", a commission headed by John Gomery.

From 1867 to 2013, there have been almost 450 federal commissions of inquiry, with and without the royal title; more than 1,500 departmental investigations; and an undetermined number of task forces.

These consist of a panel of distinguished individuals, experts, or judges convened by the governor-in-Council (the governor general acting on the advice of Cabinet) to look into and secure advice for an issue of general importance or to fully investigate a specific contentious incident.

[3][4] This is done according to the Inquiries Act, which was first passed by the Parliament of Canada in 1868 and provides royal commissions, commissions of inquiry, task forces, and departmental investigations the power to conduct investigations by subpoenaing witnesses, taking evidence under oath, requisitioning documents, and hiring expert staff.

[4] Other types of public inquiry in Canada that are closely related to royal commissions include[2] task forces, which are normally composed of knowledgeable practitioners appointed by government departments to conduct concentrated investigations into specific practical matters.

Though usually not as wide-ranging as royal commissions, some task forces have dealt with broad issues, such as housing and urban development, government information, and the structure and foreign ownership of Canadian industry.