Malcolm Turnbull has been accused of misleading Australians about reasons why a royal commission into the family law system isn't possible.
Hetty Johnston, a leading child protection advocate and founder of Bravehearts, has launched a scathing attack on the prime minister and his office.
Mr Turnbull, in a letter to Bravehearts in April, said there were significant constitutional limitations in respect of any executive inquiry into the courts.
But Ms Johnston has labelled that deceptive and alarming after receiving advice from two legal experts.
George Williams from the University of NSW said there was no insurmountable constitutional barrier, though any such commission would need to be sensitive to the independence of the courts - especially in regards to unsolved matters.
He noted the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse necessarily intersects with court and related matters.
Similarly, Curtin University Law School's Gerard Carney told Bravehearts there were no constitutional limitations that prevent the set-up of a royal commission to determine how the family law system - in particular, the Family Court of Australia - can best protect children from abuse.
"Such an inquiry, however, would need to be conducted with appropriate regard to maintaining public confidence in the judicial system."
Ms Johnston has called on Mr Turnbull to immediately allow the ongoing royal commission to examine the children and families impacted by failures in the family law system - an institution she labels sacrosanct from accountability.
The prime minister had failed to offer a rational reason why he should not immediately deliver the fastest and most effective protection to thousands of Australian children who remain at imminent risk, she said.
A royal commission was the only legal framework capable of overcoming significant hurdles necessary to properly investigate failings.
