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Public inquiries are independent investigations commissioned by government ministers to look into specific events, failures, or issues of public concern.

1. Legal Basis

• Inquiries Act 2005: The primary legislation governing statutory public inquiries in the UK.
• It provides the legal framework for ministers to set up an inquiry and gives the inquiry chair specific powers.

2. Purpose

• Fact-finding: To establish the truth about what happened.
• Learning lessons: To make recommendations to prevent future failures.
• Restoring public confidence: To demonstrate that the government is taking a serious issue seriously.
• Accountability: To hold individuals or institutions to account (though they cannot find criminal or civil liability).

3. Characteristics & Powers

• Independent: Usually chaired by a senior judge or an expert in the field.
• Powers: Under the 2005 Act, chairs have the power to:
  • Compel witnesses to give evidence.
  • Require the production of documents.
  • Take evidence under oath.
• Public: Hearings are generally held in public, allowing for transparency.

4. Relationship with Executive & Judiciary

• Executive: The government decides whether to establish an inquiry and sets the Terms of Reference (ToR). This can sometimes lead to accusations that the government is trying to limit the scope of the inquiry to protect itself.
• Judiciary: While judges often chair inquiries, the inquiry itself is not a court of law. It does not determine guilt or innocence in a legal sense, but its findings can lead to criminal or civil proceedings later.

5. Notable Examples

• The Bloody Sunday Inquiry (Saville Inquiry): Investigated the events of 1972.
• The Leveson Inquiry: Examined the culture, practices, and ethics of the British press.
• The Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Investigated the causes of the 2017 fire.
• The UK COVID-19 Inquiry: Investigating the UK’s response to the pandemic.