The government has finally decided to set up a royal commission to look into the video clip showing a lawyer engaged in a telephone conversation with a senior judge, allegedly brokering judicial appointments.

After two months of dragging its feet, the government now appears to have come to recognise that the implications of the video clip are indeed very serious and warrant a thorough inquiry.

When the video clip was released on Sept 19, the government did not quite seem to grasp the ramifications of the telephone conversation. It did not seem to see the need for urgent action.