A royal commission into New Zealand's worst mass shooting could provide a blueprint for a federal inquiry into the Bondi massacre, legal experts say.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has softened his position on setting up a royal commission into the December 14 terrorist attack, where 15 people were killed and more than 40 injured, after previously rejecting calls for such an inquiry.
As thought turns to potential terms of reference, the Law Council of Australia has warned a royal commission should not interfere with a criminal investigation into gunman Naveed Akram.
Council president Tania Wolff said a New Zealand royal commission into the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, where 51 people were killed, could be used as an example to ensure a criminal case is not compromised.
"It will be vital that the timing, conduct and terms of reference of any royal commission be structured so as not to interfere with ongoing criminal proceedings," she told AAP.
The Christchurch royal commission's term of reference included provisions to hold part of the investigation privately to ensure confidentiality, as well as restrict access to information to not affect a criminal trial.
The Law Council has been among many groups backing calls for a royal commission following the terrorist attack, with Ms Wolff saying a clear focus on anti-Semitism was needed for a Commonwealth probe.
"This inquiry must be wide ranging and look at matters including national security co-ordination, intelligence-sharing arrangements, communications and online regulation, hate speech legislation, counter-terrorism laws, pathways to radicalisation and the effectiveness of preventive frameworks," Ms Wolff said.
Other groups calling for a royal commission include Jewish groups, families of victims of the massacre, as well as prominent Australians and the federal opposition.
One open letter calling for a federal inquiry was from the Labor Israel Action Committee, with former MP Mike Kelly calling for the terms of reference to examine anti-Semitism and who is behind it.
 "You look into the generation of hate and propagandising of hate material in general, regardless of who it's targeting," he told AAP.
"We can look at how the mechanics of that work, who's behind it, for what reason and where the funding is coming from."
The group has called for a broad terms of reference to allow systemic issues to be examined.
Mr Kelly said the terms of reference could be altered if it appeared other issues associated with the Bondi massacre were not immediately investigated.
"They can be adjusted as you go along, too, as you find different things, it may lead to the need to broaden terms of reference or narrow them," he said.
"A royal commission can issue interim reports as it goes along. It's been done before."
The coalition has called for terms of reference to include the drivers of anti-Semitism, the effectiveness of Commonwealth, state and territory agencies, as well intervention programs for radical Islamic extremism.
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