Public Inquiries

Jason Beer
Edited by James Dingemans and Richard Lissack

The only book on public inquiries - reduces the need for rediscovering procedures
Authoritative and comprehensive account of the law, gives complete coverage of all issues relating to public inquiries
Written by practitioners, examining the subject from a practical perspective
Contains full references to all source materials and is extensively cross referenced
Consultant editors and contributors are leading experts with unrivalled experience in the field of public inquiries

Public Inquiries

Jason Beer
Edited by James Dingemans and Richard Lissack

Description

The tradition of public inquiry has become a pivotal part of public life, and a major instrument of accountability in the United Kingdom. There have been over 20 significant public inquiries in the past 10 years alone (including the Stephen Lawrence, the Foot and Mouth, the Bloody Sunday, the Hutton and the Mubarek Inquiries). This book is written and edited by practitioners who have appeared in a large number of these significant inquiries. This new work is the first of its kind, and is a useful handbook for practitioners.

The work examines and explains both statutory (in particular the Inquiries Act 2005 and the Inquiry Rules 2006) and non-statutory inquiries in chapters relating to the need for and purpose of the public inquiry, the mechanisms for establishing a public inquiry, terms of reference, the subject matter of inquiries, the relationship of inquiries with other legal proceedings, the constitution of an inquiry, the administration of an inquiry, evidence and procedure, public access to an inquiry, immunities and defamation, representation and funding, inquiry reports and the duty to be fair, ending the inquiry and challenging an inquiry. This book is fully indexed and cross-referenced, including extensive referencing to the position in other jurisdictions.

Public Inquiries

Jason Beer
Edited by James Dingemans and Richard Lissack

1. Introduction
2. Establishing an inquiry
3. Constitution of an inquiry
4. The administration of an inquiry
5. Evidence and procedure
6. Public access to an inquiry
7. Immunitites and defamation
8. Representation and funding
9. Inquiry reports and the duty to be fair
10. Ending the inquiry
11. Challenging an inquiry
12. Judicial review

Public Inquiries

Jason Beer
Edited by James Dingemans and Richard Lissack

Author Information

Jason Beer specializes in administrative and public law. He acts primarily for the police service and central government. He is Junior Counsel to the Crown (A Panel). He was instructed in the Lawrence inquiry, the Shipman inquiry and the Hutton inquiry. Jason practices at 5 Essex Court Chambers

Contributors:

Joseph Aiken, LLB, LLM, Barrister, Bar Library in Belfast, member of the Government Panel of Counsel in Northern Ireland, and Special Advocate

Charles Foster, Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers, Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford, and tutor in medical law and ethics, University of Oxford

Peter Skelton, BA, MPhil (Cantab), Barrister, 1 Crown Office Row

Michael Uberoi, MA (Oxon), Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers

Public Inquiries

Jason Beer
Edited by James Dingemans and Richard Lissack

Reviews and Awards

"This book achieves its aim of providing a comprehensive and accessible account of the practice and procedure of a public inquiry." --Bilal Rawat (7 Bedford Row) The Law Society Gazette

"...a comprehensive and fair treatment of the subject, and a practical resource for anyone instructed in a public inquiry." --Stuart Holmes, Turcan Connell, Journal of the Law Society of Scotland