Law Weblog

Role of judges and dispute resolution

Friday 8 April 2005 at 11:03 pm | In News | Post Comment

The Inquiries Act 2005 received Royal Assent today. The Act provides a framework for statutory inquiries set up by Ministers into events causing public concern. It sets out the independence of those carrying out inquiries by providing that they must be impartial. Inquiry chairmen will also have legal powers to seek out evidence that they need.
The Act brings a new duty to publish inquiry reports and new requirements to publish and contain costs.

The Inquiries Act covers:
> setting up inquiries 
> appointing panels to conduct inquiries
> procedures and powers
> submission and publication of reports.

The Act replaces the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 and a number of inquiry powers in various other legislation, including s.49 of the Police Act 1996, s.81 of the Children Act, 1989 and s.84 of the NHS Act 1977.