Public Inquiries

Campaigners for a public inquiry into the abuse carried out by former surgeon Michael Shine have welcomed a government decision to establish a scoping exercise. To date, more than 390 men have made allegations of abuse against the now disgraced doctor, who has served a prison sentence for sexually a

A statutory public inquiry into spina bifida and complex scoliosis services is to be established. A facilitator will now be appointed to consult with stakeholders on scoping the content of potential terms of reference for an inquiry.

The UK government has confirmed plans to hold a statutory public inquiry into the so-called "Battle of Orgreave" during the miners' strike. For more than four decades, miners and their families have campaigned for an investigation into policing on what is remembered as the most violent day of the 19

Court of Appeal judge Mr Justice Michael MacGrath has been appointed to chair a new commission of investigation into historical sexual abuse in all day and boarding schools. The establishment of the commission of investigation follows a scoping inquiry which was told of 2,395 allegations of historic

Northern Ireland lawyer Aine Tyrrell considers the circumstances in which a public inquiry is justified. Since the start of this century, the public in Northern Ireland have become all too familiar with the role that a public inquiry can play in investigating a particular incident or set of events.

Northern Ireland MPs have backed a call for the UK government to establish an independent public inquiry into the UK's involvement in the Gaza war. An open letter penned by Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader turned independent MP, has been signed by 30 other MPs and five Lords.

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced that he is calling a statutory public inquiry into the abuse reported at Muckamore Abbey Hospital. The inquiry follows two reports into the abuse at the hospital, and comes alongside an ongoing major police investigation.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton, the Supreme Court judge who chaired the recent Disclosures Tribunal, has called for a "rebalancing" of the tribunal of inquiry system, warning that their functioning is becoming "close to impossible". The senior judge made the remarks in the 19th Annual John Hume Lecture,