Dr Rindos died in his sleep and supporters have blamed the stress of his five-year fight against UWA.
Chair of the parliamentary standing committee on government agencies, Mr Barry House, said the inquiry was begun not because of the individual dispute but because "some aspects of public administration had been highlighted to us and we wanted to get to the bottom of it. That remains the committee's objective." The committee's terms of reference include investigating whether the procedures adopted by the UWA to review and determine Dr Rindos's tenure, and his subsequent appeals, were deficient. UWA has maintained Dr Rindos was fairly treated in accordance with established procedures.
The committee has also been asked to make recommendations arising out of the Rindos affair concerning the "need to maintain the integrity, professionalism and international standing of State universities generally, thereby reinforcing public confidence in the State tertiary education system." The inquiry, which has powers equivalent to a royal commission, was due to report by the end of this year.