Of the 83 fully public inquiries launched in the UK since 1990, the coronavirus inquiry is the most extensive and the most expensive, with an estimated cost of £150 million (€173.7 million). The study may also be the most important of its kind as it examines the reasons behind the UK’s staggering 233,000 coronavirus deaths.
But despite its gravity, the inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, is less concerned with what went wrong and how to stop it happening again than with WhatsApp’s political “petty bickering.” He is stuck with the accusation that he seems to be interested in
“This is a farce. A spectacle of hysteria, slander and pettiness,” said Carl Heneghan, an epidemiologist at the University of Oxford who gave evidence to the inquiry and was critical of its methods. He accused the group’s top lawyers of being “indifferent to the substance and preoccupied with reading off the rude words in other people’s messages.”
The British government also faces accusations that it has undermined public confidence in the inquiry after the Cabinet Office took Hallett to court last year over granting access to certain records. Perhaps the biggest lesson the Irish government can learn from the UK experience for investigations is to avoid being seen as obstructing investigations.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson first announced a full public inquiry into the UK’s coronavirus response in May 2021, when the virus was still raging. Mr Hallett was appointed in December of the same year, with final terms agreed in the summer of 2022 following a public consultation.
It has full legal powers to compel witnesses and evidence and apportion responsibility. It exists both in public and in private. Public hearings are not expected to conclude until mid-2026. We plan to take a closer look at his six modules published so far and report the results in parts.
The UK investigation is already seen as slow, with Ireland already more than two years behind. Publishing an interim report could help Irish authorities speed up the process.
Given the magnitude and emotional context of the coronavirus, Hallett emphasized the needs of the investigation and one of its core functions: giving victims and their families a voice and ensuring that the investigation is completed. I’ve been trying to find a balance. A former judge, she has experience in the field, including chairing the inquiry into the July 7 bombings in London in 2005.
Victims’ families have focused on the hearing, particularly the module that examines political decision-making. Research into the module was conducted publicly between October and December last year. Witnesses included Mr Johnson and current UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the pandemic.
In an attempt to express independence from the British establishment, the hearings will be held in a bland building near Paddington Station in west London, well away from the main court areas of Westminster and Temple. Security is tight but protests are encouraged, with families of victims filling the zone in front of the building holding placards and banners. Witnesses, including Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak, entered and exited through the front door. Family members and members of the public in the hearing room outnumber journalists 10 to 1. The proceedings will also be live-streamed online, albeit with a three-minute delay.
[ Covid-19: Inquiry into Ireland’s handling of pandemic to hear from bereaved families ]
But Mr Hallett struggled to rein in some protesters during the testimony of certain politicians, including Mr Johnson and former health secretary Matt Hancock. While Ms Johnson was publicly chairing the case, she halted proceedings to expel the families of several victims. She sought the views of a wide range of coronavirus survivors and victims’ families through an online consultation called Every Story Matters, which recorded testimonies from the public.
Some British commentators have questioned the choice of Hugo Keith, one of Britain’s top trial lawyers, as lead lawyer for the investigation, which will examine witnesses. During the hearing with prominent witnesses such as Hancock and Johnson, even Hallett seemed fed up with his combative style and repeatedly told him to move on.
“One of the problems with this investigation is that it has become a lawyer-led trial. But who is on trial?” John, an academic at the University of Birmingham who is studying Britain’s coronavirus response.・Mr. Bryson says. “The investigation is looking for those responsible. [when] What really matters should be a rapid assessment of the broader consequences of the response. ”
The scope of the UK study is unprecedented, covering almost every aspect of state governance, from health policy to education, political governance and economic management. But as Emma Norris of the Institute of Government think tank in London has pointed out, it is unclear whether it will lead to change, as it faces the same challenges as all other public inquiries. Policy makers have no power to compel action.
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