Hosted by Diane Abbott MP, speakers will include Shami Chakrabarti (Liberty), Helen Shaw (Inquest), Eric Metcalfe (Justice) and Susan Alexander, bereaved mother of Azelle Rodney.
Despite a public climbdown in May, the Government intends to go ahead with plans to hold investigations into controversial deaths in secret. On 21 October, the House of Lords voted new provisions onto the Coroners and Justice Bill which removed the need for the Government’s ‘secret inquiries’ clause. When the Bill returns to the Commons the Government will ask MPs to reject the Lords amendments
WHAT: Liberty, Justice and Inquest parliamentary meeting into secret inquests
WHO: Diane Abbott MP, Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti, INQUEST Co-director Helen Shaw, Justice’s Director for Human Rights, Eric Metcalfe, Susan Alexander, bereaved mother of Azelle Rodney
WHEN: Monday 2 November 2009, 16.00-17.30
WHERE: Committee room 16, House of Commons
In addition to limiting transparency, these proposals generate widespread concern about the consequences for bereaved families and the negative impact on public trust and confidence - there is growing speculation that secret inquiries will be used to investigate 7/7 deaths. On Friday, the Lord Chancellor Jack Straw was publicly criticised by a coroner for persisting with the secret inquest policy.
Contact: Mairi Clare Rodgers on 020 7378 3656 or 07973831128
Notes to editors
The Liberty, Justice and Inquest briefing on amendments to the Coroners and Justice bill can be found here
http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/pdfs/policy-09/joint-inquest-liberty-justice-briefing-on-intercept-inquiries-report-lords.pdf 
