Public inquiries are investigations into issues of public concern and are independent of Government. They are set up to find out what happened, why it happened, and to make recommendations to try to prevent what has gone wrong from happening again.
Statutory inquiries are governed by the Inquiries Act 2005 and Inquiry Rules 2006. This means they have greater powers to:
– Compel the production of documents and evidence
– Require witnesses to give evidence under oath
– Hold public hearings where appropriate
Yes. If an individual or organisation refuses to cooperate with the Inquiry and if the Chair is satisfied that it’s necessary to do so, the Inquiry has the power to compel individuals or organisations to provide evidence, either in a statement or through documents, to the Inquiry. Failure to comply with a requirement made by a statutory inquiry without reasonable excuse, is an offence.
Anyone with information that may be relevant to the Inquiry’s scope are encouraged to come forward. We want to hear from people about their experiences and there are many different ways to contribute.
Most people who provide evidence through documents or statements to the Inquiry will do so voluntarily following a request from the Inquiry, and the Inquiry will take a trauma-informed approach to gathering evidence from individuals who were present at or affected by the events at Orgreave.
More information will be provided on the website about planned listening exercises and/or how to provide evidence to the Inquiry when we move through the phases of the Inquiry. Please contact the Inquiry team and we can let you know how you may support the work of the Inquiry.
The Inquiry is chaired by the Rt Rev. Dr Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, a current member of the House of Lords. The Chair is responsible for discharging the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference and establishes the structure and procedures which govern the Inquiry, subject to a statutory duty to act fairly.
The Chair is supported by an Inquiry team including barristers, solicitors, assessors, and the Secretariat. At the conclusion of the Inquiry, the Inquiry will publish a report making findings of fact and recommendations. The Inquiry cannot make any findings of civil or criminal liability, or award compensation.
The Inquiry is funded by the Home Office, although it operates independently. Bi-annual financial reports will be published on the Inquiry website.
This inquiry operates with complete independence from government, police forces, and all other institutions. Our conclusions will be based solely on the evidence we gather and hear.
The Inquiry Terms of Reference sets out the scope of the Inquiry, which includes
– planning undertaken by the police and government for the policing of the demonstration at Orgreave on 18 June 1984, including relevant decision-making, in the lead-up to the day;
– the events at Orgreave on the day of 18 June 1984, the immediate aftermath and lasting impact on individuals and communities, including the subsequent public narrative which developed; and
– charging decisions and prosecutions relating to those arrested in relation to the events at Orgreave on 18 June 1984
Inquiries are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because they are not a public authority as defined in Schedule 1 to the Act. However, the Inquiry will conduct proceedings as openly and transparently as possible. As part of this, relevant information that can be published will be available on the Inquiry’s website. Following conclusion of the inquiry, and to meet its commitment to build a full digital archive of all available, relevant information, all documents and records will be transferred to the National Archives.
We believe transparency builds trust. The Inquiry will provide regular updates on the progress of our work, decisions taken and evidence received through newsletters published on our websites. We will ensure our work is accessible to all communities affected by these events, providing information in formats that meet different needs.
The Inquiry does not operate any social media accounts. If you come across any social media profiles claiming to represent the Orgreave Inquiry, please report them immediately to info@orgreave.public-inquiry.uk. At the conclusion of the Inquiry, we will establish a publicly available digital archive of all disclosed material.
A Core Participant is an individual or an organisation the Inquiry formally recognises as having a close and important connection to the matters the Inquiry are examining.
Core Participants have the right to be represented by a lawyer, to receive disclosure of documents as the Inquiry progresses, to make submissions to the Inquiry and to propose questions for witnesses through the Inquiry’s procedures. If you decide not to apply for Core Participant status, this does not mean your evidence will be ignored. It simply means there are different routes for people to engage with the Inquiry. Information about how to apply for Core Participant status can be found here.
A witness is someone who gives evidence to the Inquiry, in writing or in person, relating to the matters being investigated by the Inquiry. This could be someone who speaks about their own experiences or about the records they hold (e.g. documents or data).
Being a witness involves a level of legal formality. Witness will usually have provided the Inquiry with a written statement, and some will also provide a form of oral evidence, albeit not necessarily in a formal Inquiry hearing setting. An individual or organisation can be both a Core Participant and a witness. When the Inquiry begins to gather witness evidence, we will publish more information about how that process will work.
Under Section 40 of the Inquiries Act 2005, the Chair can award expenses and legal costs to those who give evidence to a statutory inquiry, whether or not they are Core Participants.
The Inquiry is committed to ensuring support is available for those involved in the Inquiry and has commissioned Hestia to provide independent, confidential emotional support for those engaging with the process. More information on support services can be found on our support page.