The organisation Justice launched their latest much anticipated Working Party publication:‘When things go wrong: the response of the justice system’. The Working Party included a number of retired High Court Judges and leading practitioners in the field and experts; amongst them a number of Garden Court barristers including Professor Leslie Thomas QC, Thalia Maragh and Una Morris of the Garden Court Inquest and Inquiries Team.
Allison Munroe QC was invited to take part in the panel discussion at the online launch.
When a catastrophic event or systemic failure results in death or injury, the justice system must provide a framework to understand what happened and to prevent recurrence.
This Working Party of JUSTICE was established in recognition that the legal processes designed to fulfil these aims are too often beset with delay and duplication, with insufficient concern for the needs of those affected by disasters. Instead of finding answers through the legal process, bereaved people and survivors are often left feeling confused, betrayed and re-traumatised. The lack of formal implementation and oversight following the end of an inquest or inquiry makes the likelihood of future prevention limited.
Having sat for a year, this report records the 54 recommendations of the Working Party, which seek to ensure that the justice system’s response when things go wrong is consistent, open, timely, coherent and readily understandable. With calls for a public inquiry into the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this report could not be more timely.
To read the full press release click here. To view the report in full please click here.
This has been covered in the Law Society Gazette and inews.
The online launch event was recorded and will be available in due course.
