THE BAHA MOUSA PUBLIC
INQUIRY News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 20
November 2008
Today, the Baha
Mousa Inquiry has published its provisional Issues List. The list
is intended as a guide to the issues on which the Inquiry's
investigations will focus. It has been published on the
Inquiry's website and sent to the prospective core
participants under the authority of the Inquiry Chairman, the
Right Honourable Sir William Gage.
The list is a provisional one and the Inquiry's
investigations may uncover the need to address further issues,
which are within its terms of reference but not contained in this
list. Accordingly, the issues in this list may be subject to
revision during the course of the Inquiry.
The Chairman has also announced that the Inquiry will hold its
first Directions Hearing on Wednesday 3 December 2008. The hearing
will be a procedural one, at which the Chairman will give
directions to lawyers representing the Inquiry's core
participants about the provision of evidence.
The Chairman will also inform the legal representatives of the
process for determining which witnesses are to be called to give
oral evidence, and will set out an indicative timetable for the
Inquiry. He will also hear any representations about matters such
as reporting restrictions and legal representation arrangements
that core participants may wish to make.
The Chairman has also
indicated that a second Directions Hearing will be held on
Wednesday 21 January 2009, continuing on Thursday 22 January if necessary.
Note to Editors
1. The next hearing will be the first Directions Hearing and will
take place on Wednesday 3 December, continuing the following day
if necessary. The Chairman will sit at 10:00. A transcript of the
hearing will be available online shortly afterwards.
2. The Hearing will be held at the Inquiry's premises in the
City of London: Finlaison House, 15-17 Furnival Street, London
EC1A 1AB (view online location map at tinyurl.com/6pxuex). The
following day, Thursday 4 December, has been reserved for a
continuation of the hearing if necessary.
3. The issues list is available on the Inquiry's website at
http://www.bahamousainquiry.org/key_documents/index.htm.
As stated in the preamble it is neither a pleading nor a statement
of case: it is designed as a guide to the issues that the Inquiry
is likely to cover and it may be subject to revision from time to time.
4. The list is issued on the authority of the Chairman by Counsel
to the Inquiry: Gerard Elias QC, Nick Moss and Patrick Halliday.
Biographical details of the Inquiry team can be found on the
Inquiry's website.
5. Sir William Gage held the Inquiry's Preliminary
Directions Hearing on 15 October 2008 in the International Dispute
Resolution Centre. The Inquiry has now moved to permanent premises
at Finlaison House in Furnival Street, London.
6. Directions hearings will be open to the public. Journalists
wishing to attend the hearing should contact the Inquiry press
office (details below) and will need to arrive by 09:45 on the
hearing day(s) to ensure entry. All attendees will be required to
undergo security checks in line with normal court procedures
before being admitted to the building, and photography and the use
of mobile phones in the hearing room is prohibited.
7. Court Reporting Rules: Sir William Gage highlighted at the
Preliminary Hearing that at the Court Martial of seven servicemen
arising out of these events, the presiding Judge Advocate made an
order, which remains in force for this Inquiry, requiring the
media not to publish certain features and information in relation
to the Defendants. Anybody was invited to make submissions in
relation to this order, or any related matter affecting other
service personnel, by contacting the Chairman in writing by 14
November 2008. If necessary he shall consider them and any further
argument at the first Directions Hearing.
For more information please contact Suzanne Halls or Mark Fenwick
in the Baha Mousa Inquiry Press Office on 020 7261 8327,
or
visit the website at http://www.bahamousainquiry.org.