The tradition of the public inquiry has become a pivotal part of public life, and a major instrument of accountability in the United Kingdom. There have been over 30 significant public inquiries in the decade (including the BSE, Shipman, Hutton, Bloody Sunday and Billy Wright Inquiries). This book is written and edited by practitioners who have appeared in a large number of these significant inquiries. This new work is the first of its kind, and will function as a handbook for practitioners.

The work examines and explains both statutory (in particular the Inquiries Act 2005 and the Inquiry Rules 2006) and non-statutory inquiries in chapters relating to the need for and purpose of the public inquiry, the mechanisms for establishing a public inquiry, terms of reference, the subject matter of inquiries, the relationship of inquiries to other legal proceedings, the constitution of an inquiry, the administration of an inquiry, evidence and procedure, public access to an inquiry, immunities and defamation, representation and funding, inquiry reports and the duty to be fair, ending the inquiry and challenging an inquiry. This book is fully indexed and cross-referenced, including extensive referencing to the position in other jurisdictions.

With a Foreword written by Lord Brown.