Law and Rights
In July 2003, Tony Blair received standing ovations when he addressed the United States Congress. He flew on to Tokyo and the news broke of the death of the scientist Dr David Kelly who had, for a decade, advised both the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence on Iraq, its weapons of mass destruction and the United Nations' inspection approach towards disarmament and monitoring. ?Have you got blood on your hands ??, was the famous and unanswered question which was thrown at an obviously shaken and nervous Mr. Blair. It was immediately announced that there would be an inquiry to be chaired by Lord Hutton.
Dr Kelly had appeared before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee on 15th July 2003 when it was put to Dr. Kelly that he was ?chaff? thrown up to divert the committee?s probing and when he was pompously told by Andrew Mackinlay MP that this ?is the high court of Parliament and I want you to tell the Committee who you met.?
The Hutton Inquiry reported in January 2004.
The Oxfordshire Coroner opened an inquest into Dr Kelly?s death but it was adjourned pending the outcome of the Hutton Inquiry. Hutton declared ? ?I am satisfied that Dr Kelly took his own life and that the principal cause of death was bleeding from incised wounds to his left wrist which Dr Kelly had inflicted on himself with the knife found beside his body. It is probable that the ingestion of an excess amount of Coproxamol tablets coupled with apparently clinically silent coronary artery disease would have played a part in bringing about death more certainly and more rapidly than it would have otherwise been the case. I am further satisfied that no other person was involved in the death of Dr Kelly and that Dr Kelly was not suffering from any significant mental illness at the time he took his own life.? After this finding was announced the Oxfordshire Coroner decided not to resume the inquest.
A group of doctors are seeking material on which to base a challenge to the finding of Hutton. It appears that they have been informed that Lord Hutton ruled in 2003 that medical reports and photographs should remain closed for 70 years ? see The Guardian 26th January 2010.
The exact legal basis for this seems somewhat obscure. The Hutton Inquiry was held at the request of the Lord Chancellor of the day (Lord Falconer) and it was set up under the prerogative power of the Secretary of State to convene an inquiry ? see Review of Executive Royal Prerogative Powers
(An interesting report on inquiries is that of the Parliamentary Public Administration Select Committee 2004 ?Government by Inquiry?) This report preceded the Inquiries Act 2005 which would now govern any statutory inquiry and which, interestingly, retains the power of the Secretary of State to set up an inquiry - section 44(4).
It would therefore appear that the inquiry material is subject to governmental discretion as to whether it will be released and, if so, when. In 1997 the government published the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, this made it clear that some categories of information could remain confidential and would do so if ?the harm likely to arise from disclosure would outweigh the public interest in making the information available.? Of course, Ministers would be the judge of that! One of the key categories of information which could remain confidential was ? ?Information relating to legal proceedings or the proceedings of any tribunal, public inquiry or other formal investigation which have been completed or terminated, or relating to investigations which have or might have resulted in proceedings.? From the beginning of 2005, the Access to Government Information Code came to an end. However, in itself, this would not alter any "closure" decisions already taken.
It is rather difficult to see what interest there is in keeping this matter under wraps. If Lord Hutton got it right then there should be nothing to fear.
Additional information ? 26th January 2010 ? A report on the BBC website indicated that Lord Hutton did not mind the post-mortem report being released for the purposes of any legal proceedings but he would wish to see conditions restricting the use and publication of the report to such proceedings.
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Law and Rights
Nothing to hide: nothing to fear. Iraq; Dr. Kelly and Lord Hutton
In July 2003, Tony Blair received standing ovations when he addressed the United States Congress. He flew on to Tokyo and the news broke of the death of the scientist Dr David Kelly who had, for a decade, advised both the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence on Iraq, its weapons of mass destruction and the United Nations' inspection approach towards disarmament and monitoring. ?Have you got blood on your hands ??, was the famous and unanswered question which was thrown at an obviously shaken and nervous Mr. Blair. It was immediately announced that there would be an inquiry to be chaired by Lord Hutton.
Dr Kelly had appeared before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee on 15th July 2003 when it was put to Dr. Kelly that he was ?chaff? thrown up to divert the committee?s probing and when he was pompously told by Andrew Mackinlay MP that this ?is the high court of Parliament and I want you to tell the Committee who you met.?
The Hutton Inquiry reported in January 2004.
The Oxfordshire Coroner opened an inquest into Dr Kelly?s death but it was adjourned pending the outcome of the Hutton Inquiry. Hutton declared ? ?I am satisfied that Dr Kelly took his own life and that the principal cause of death was bleeding from incised wounds to his left wrist which Dr Kelly had inflicted on himself with the knife found beside his body. It is probable that the ingestion of an excess amount of Coproxamol tablets coupled with apparently clinically silent coronary artery disease would have played a part in bringing about death more certainly and more rapidly than it would have otherwise been the case. I am further satisfied that no other person was involved in the death of Dr Kelly and that Dr Kelly was not suffering from any significant mental illness at the time he took his own life.? After this finding was announced the Oxfordshire Coroner decided not to resume the inquest.
A group of doctors are seeking material on which to base a challenge to the finding of Hutton. It appears that they have been informed that Lord Hutton ruled in 2003 that medical reports and photographs should remain closed for 70 years ? see The Guardian 26th January 2010.
The exact legal basis for this seems somewhat obscure. The Hutton Inquiry was held at the request of the Lord Chancellor of the day (Lord Falconer) and it was set up under the prerogative power of the Secretary of State to convene an inquiry ? see Review of Executive Royal Prerogative Powers
(An interesting report on inquiries is that of the Parliamentary Public Administration Select Committee 2004 ?Government by Inquiry?) This report preceded the Inquiries Act 2005 which would now govern any statutory inquiry and which, interestingly, retains the power of the Secretary of State to set up an inquiry - section 44(4).
It would therefore appear that the inquiry material is subject to governmental discretion as to whether it will be released and, if so, when. In 1997 the government published the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, this made it clear that some categories of information could remain confidential and would do so if ?the harm likely to arise from disclosure would outweigh the public interest in making the information available.? Of course, Ministers would be the judge of that! One of the key categories of information which could remain confidential was ? ?Information relating to legal proceedings or the proceedings of any tribunal, public inquiry or other formal investigation which have been completed or terminated, or relating to investigations which have or might have resulted in proceedings.? From the beginning of 2005, the Access to Government Information Code came to an end. However, in itself, this would not alter any "closure" decisions already taken.
It is rather difficult to see what interest there is in keeping this matter under wraps. If Lord Hutton got it right then there should be nothing to fear.
Additional information ? 26th January 2010 ? A report on the BBC website indicated that Lord Hutton did not mind the post-mortem report being released for the purposes of any legal proceedings but he would wish to see conditions restricting the use and publication of the report to such proceedings.
- Litvinenko - A Public Inquiry To Be Held Under The Inquries Act 2005
On 22nd July, the Home Secretary decided that there should be an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the death, in 2006, of Alexander Litvinenko - (BBC News 22nd July). As a result, the inquest first established in 2006 has been suspended...
- Impeachment - If It Is Not Obsolete Then It Should Be !
Impeachment of Warren HastingsAddendum: 27th June - Chilcot Report into 2003 Iraq invasion hit by further delay Not for the first time, there has been a call for the Impeachment of former Prime Minister Tony Blair who, it is alleged, misled Parliament...
- Inquest Or Inquiry? Litvinenko
Update 3rd October - Litvinenko's widow to seek judicial review of decision not to hold an inquiry - RTE Ireland Update 12th July - an Inquiry has been ruled out even though the Coroner (Owen J) requested it - BBC News UK 12th July Update...
- Brief Notes On The Azelle Rodney Inquiry
Update 31st July 2014 - The former Police Officer, referred to as E7, has been charged with the murder of Azelle Rodney. See the Crown Prosecution Service announcement on this. In April 2005, Azelle Rodney (then aged 24) was shot by the Metropolitan...
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James Tissot - The Journey of the MagiThe Supreme Court: Two new justices have been named. They are the Scottish Judge Lord Reed and Lord Justice Carnwath. Their appointments are consequent upon the death in June 2011 of Lord Rodger...