Politicians investigating the University of WA's Rindos affair have failed to reach a conclusion despite more than 40 hours of meetings since March.

The Legislative Council's government agencies committee said in an interim report it needed more major submission and input from lawyers before it could report on one of seven subsections of its terms of reference.

The committee will cease to exist at the end of this parliamentary term but chairman Barry House said this week that it was likely another committee would continue the inquiry.

The inquiry is into the 1993 denial of tenure to former UWA senior lecturer in archeology David Rindos and into associated internal management procedures at the university.

The committee has held 22 meetings, heard from 17 witnesses and received 60 written submissions.

"Given the substantial amount of evidence and submissions before the committee, the committee is concerned to ensure that adequate protection is afforded to the university and to Dr David Rindos, and that the questions of natural justice and common law rules of fairness are not answered arbitrarily or in haste," the report said.

The decision to launch the inquiry came under fire from UWA and the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee for wasting money and interfering in university autonomy, UWA also attacking the procedural fairness of the inquiry, including the holding of in-camera meetings.

Deputy vice-chancellor Alan Robson said yesterday the university was disappointed the inquiry had not been completed.