Dear reader – assuming that there be such a person – I realise that you are probably even more bored with this than I am, so I’ll keep it brief.

Question: What is the purpose of a ‘Royal Commission”?

Answer: To enrich an astounding number of lawyers.

Question: How is this?

Answer: Well a lawyer is appointed to mastermind the proceedings.

‘Counsel assisting’ are appointed to , well , assist.

Those appearing before the commission engage the most expensive lawyers that they – or more probably their customers and shareholders – can afford.

The bodies charged with overseeing the activities being investigated – and found deficient in the discharge of their responsibilities – are awarded extra public funds to pay more lawyers to act in the prosecution of those few underlings with insufficient political clout to avoid it.

Those prosecuted pay lawyers as much of their customers’ and shareholders’ funds as they can get their hands on, plus as much of their own cash as they deem prudent to avoid incarceration.

The glacial pace of prosecution causes public unrest and this is met by the expenditure of more public funds to build more courtrooms to provide more space for more lawyers – and bear in mind that all judges are simply inflated lawyers – to rack up more fees and costs.

So, at the end of the day, whatever the apparent outcome, and however much helpless shareholders and the general public are fleeced in the process, many, many lawyers will make a great deal of money.

And the world will go on much as before.