Tuesday 15 February 2022

Inquiries ~ update February 2022

On-going inquiries - here is a brief résumé. The post ends with a look at progress with the promised Covid-19 inquiry.

Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse website - set up 7 July 2014 but reconstituted in February 2015 as a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005.

Since 11 August 2016, chaired by Professor Alexis Jay. Public hearings concluded in late 2020 but reports continue to be issued - see February 2022 report on Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks. The inquiry conducted 15 separate investigations, heard 725 witnesses and held 325 days of public hearings. A final report remains to be issued.

Undercover Policing - website - set up 12 March 2015 - first Chairman 

was Sir Christopher Pitchford who stepped down for health reasons and, in 2017, was replaced by Sir John Mitting. The inquiry has published nearly 3,000 evidential documents - see HERE. Tranche 1 (Phase 3) hearings will take place from 9 to 20 May 2022 - (Hearings).the ‘Hearings’ page.

Infected Blood - website -  set up 11 July 2017 - Chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff.  The inquiry will continue during 2022 - see the indicative timetable.

Grenfell Tower - website - set up 15 August 2017 - Chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick - he Inquiry published its Phase 1 Report in October 2019.  Phase 2 continues - see latest news.

Manchester Arena  - website - set up 22 October 2019 - Chaired by Sir John Saunders. In June 2021, the Inquiry published a report on Security for the Arena. Hearings continue and are live-streamed from  the Inquiry's YouTube channel.

Jermaine Baker website - set up 14 February 2020 - Chaired by Clement Goldstone QC - the inquiry heard closing submissions in September 2021. A report is in preparation.

Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry - website - Chaired by Sir Wyn Williams (retired High Court judge). The Inquiry was established in non-statutory form on 29th September 2020. It was converted to a statutory inquiry on 1st June 2021.

Coronavirus - in December 2021 it was announced that an inquiry would be chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett (a retired Lady Justice of Appeal) - see the announcement.  The government's intention is that the inquiry be UK-wide.

Terms of reference remain to be set and published - The Independent 30 January 2022.

The process is proving to be controversial - see The Guardian 14 February - with bereaved families calling for the Prime Minister to have no part in setting the terms of reference. The concern is that the PM is compromised due to the "parties in Downing Street" scandal which, at the time of writing, continues to be under Police investigation.

A separate inquiry has been set up in Scotland and terms of reference issued - Scottish government - Coivd 19 inquiry and Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).  The inquiry will be chaired by Scottish judge Lady Anna Poole.

In Wales, the First Minister appears not to have ruled out holding an inquiry if a UK-wide inquiry is inadequate.

Northern Ireland - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-59583873

See previous post 12 May 2021.

In October 2021 a joint report was issued by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and the Health and Social Care Committee - previous post for details.


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