The “inquiry into inquiries” is the initiative of not-for-profit mediation body the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), which has highlighted low public confidence in the public inquiry process.
Lord Woolf, a former Lord Chief Justice, says: “Public inquiries have been normalised in UK society by their sheer frequency and the level of attention provided by media outlets.
“What’s needed is a serious review of the design and execution of public inquiries, to answer the fundamental question of whether, in its current form, the public inquiry is still fit for purpose.”
An independent survey commissioned by CEDR revealed more than half of 2,000 adults questioned believe public inquiries are too costly, take too long and that politicians have too much influence over the process. Less than half believe public inquiries result in the recommended changes being made.
More than two-thirds would like to see members of the public represented on public inquiry panels.
Only just over a quarter said they had confidence in the system. However, this may be partly due to a lack of understanding—more than three-quarters of respondents had little or no understanding of public inquiries.
“For anyone with access to the news, public inquiries would appear to be a mainstay of daily life,” says Dr Karl Mackie, CEO of CEDR.
“But the impact of public inquiries, good and bad, is far-reaching and deserves further consideration beyond what is said in the headlines. By launching the ‘inquiry into inquiries’, we hope to encourage necessary changes in the commissioning, management and integration of inquiry findings with public policy.”
The longest and most expensive public inquiry was the Saville Inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday, which lasted 12 years and cost £195m. Lord Hutton’s inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly cost £2.5m and lasted six weeks. A public inquiry into the 2005 outbreak of E. coli in South Wales also lasted six weeks and cost £2.3m.
CEDR is inviting experts, past inquiry participants and other potential project partners to share their experiences at www.cedr.com/inquiry.
Lord Woolf, a former Lord Chief Justice, says: “Public inquiries have been normalised in UK society by their sheer frequency and the level of attention provided by media outlets.
“What’s needed is a serious review of the design and execution of public inquiries, to answer the fundamental question of whether, in its current form, the public inquiry is still fit for purpose.”
An independent survey commissioned by CEDR revealed more than half of 2,000 adults questioned believe public inquiries are too costly, take too long and that politicians have too much influence over the process. Less than half believe public inquiries result in the recommended changes being made.
More than two-thirds would like to see members of the public represented on public inquiry panels.
Only just over a quarter said they had confidence in the system. However, this may be partly due to a lack of understanding—more than three-quarters of respondents had little or no understanding of public inquiries.
“For anyone with access to the news, public inquiries would appear to be a mainstay of daily life,” says Dr Karl Mackie, CEO of CEDR.
“But the impact of public inquiries, good and bad, is far-reaching and deserves further consideration beyond what is said in the headlines. By launching the ‘inquiry into inquiries’, we hope to encourage necessary changes in the commissioning, management and integration of inquiry findings with public policy.”
The longest and most expensive public inquiry was the Saville Inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday, which lasted 12 years and cost £195m. Lord Hutton’s inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly cost £2.5m and lasted six weeks. A public inquiry into the 2005 outbreak of E. coli in South Wales also lasted six weeks and cost £2.3m.
CEDR is inviting experts, past inquiry participants and other potential project partners to share their experiences at www.cedr.com/inquiry.
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