The controversial proposals have generated widespread concern about the consequences for bereaved families and the negative impact on public trust and confidence.
Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, said:
"We welcome this sane and humble climb-down by the Lord Chancellor. It was completely bizarre for a Government that has spent over a decade lecturing the public about victims' rights to attempt to exclude bereaved families from open justice.
Secret courts and parallel legal systems have mushroomed under New Labour but as we have learned in recent days there is no accountability without transparency."
Despite last minute amendments, the Government’s proposals would gravely limit transparency and increase executive control over the inquest process and could exclude bereaved families, their legal representatives and the public at large from the investigation process. This could include inquests into highly contentious deaths such as deaths in custody or deaths of individuals where issues of the state’s broader conduct are raised for example an inquest into the death of a soldier killed in Iraq or the inquest into the death of Dr David Kelly.
Notes to editors
1. Read the Liberty, Justice and Inquest briefing on Clauses 11-12 of the Coroners & Justice Bill for Second Reading in the House of Lords as a PDF
here.
Contact: Mairi Clare Rodgers on 020 7378 3677 or 07973831128
