Public Inquiries - Victim & Family Representation

Public Inquiries - Victim & Family Representation

When public institutions fall short, the impact on victims and families can be profound. Many are left searching for answers, recognition, and a sense that change will follow. JMW represents victims, bereaved families, and others affected by institutional failings in both statutory and non-statutory public inquiries across the UK.

Public inquiries offer an opportunity to uncover the truth, hold organisations to account, and make sure lessons are learned. When you choose JMW to represent you, we will help you understand your rights, prepare evidence, take an active role in the inquiry process and give you a voice in what happens next.

Our public inquiry work is led by Sara Stanger, who has represented families in some of the most complex and high-profile cases of recent years. With national experience spanning healthcare, social care and public safety, we combine professional expertise with genuine care for those we represent.

If you or your family have been affected by issues now under public inquiry, contact JMW on 0345 872 6666 or use our online enquiry form to speak with a solicitor in confidence.

How JMW Can Help

Public inquiries are complex and emotionally charged. For victims and families, taking part can feel overwhelming, as it involves understanding the inquiry’s scope and powers, preparing statements and attending hearings.

JMW’s public inquiry team helps you take part with confidence and purpose by offering clear guidance at every stage. We act for individuals, families and community groups across the UK in both statutory and non-statutory inquiries. Our solicitors work to protect your interests, help you share your experiences, and make sure your voice contributes to the inquiry’s findings and recommendations.

Our support includes:

• Applications for core participant status: making formal representations to the inquiry so that you or your family have the right to contribute evidence and access documentation, including any applications for funding. 
• Preparation of witness statements and written evidence: ensuring your account is presented accurately and sensitively.
• Legal advice throughout inquiry proceedings: explaining what to expect, advising on evidence disclosure, and helping you respond to requests from the inquiry team.
• Representation at hearings: attending procedural and evidential hearings with you or on your behalf, and guiding you through questioning and witness testimony.
• Ongoing communication and support: providing regular updates and practical advice so you always know where your case stands.

We combine legal expertise with an understanding of the human impact these processes carry. We have experience acting in inquiries across healthcare, policing, social care, public safety and other areas where institutional failings have deeply affected people’s lives.

Sara provides representation for inquiries spanning a range of disciplines - from healthcare and mental health law to public sector and criminal matters - and acts for victims and families involved in inquiries nationwide.

What Is a Public Inquiry?

A public inquiry is an independent investigation, usually established by a government minister, to examine matters of serious public concern. These inquiries are designed to uncover the truth about events or systemic failings that have caused harm, loss, or widespread public impact. They provide a formal way for victims, families, and witnesses to share their experiences and contribute to a lasting public record.

Public inquiries can be statutory or non-statutory:

• Statutory inquiries, set up under the Inquiries Act 2005, have legal powers to compel witnesses to give evidence and to require the disclosure of documents.
• Non-statutory inquiries do not have the same legal powers but often follow a similar process and can still carry significant weight and influence.

Each inquiry has defined terms of reference, which set out what it will investigate. The process typically includes gathering written and oral evidence, taking witness statements, and holding public hearings to question the relevant witnesses. At the end, the inquiry publishes a final report identifying what went wrong, why it happened, and how it might be prevented in future.

Recent examples include the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Post Office Horizon Inquiry, the Thirlwall Inquiry, the Undercover Policing Inquiry and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. These investigations have played a major role in exposing institutional failings, improving transparency, and delivering recommendations for reform.

For victims and families, a public inquiry offers more than legal scrutiny - it is a chance to have their voices heard, their experiences recognised, their loss acknowledged on record and be part of positive change.

What Is the Public Inquiry Process for Victims and Families?

If you or your family have been affected by events that are now under investigation, a public inquiry can feel like unfamiliar territory. It can involve sharing painful memories, reading official evidence, and waiting for answers that take time to come. At JMW, we guide you through every stage so you understand what will happen, what’s expected of you, and how we’ll support you throughout.

Public inquiries generally follow a structured approach, and understanding the process can prepare you for what you will encounter.

1. The inquiry is announced

When a government minister announces an inquiry, with the right representation victims and those affected can be part of shaping the document called the terms of reference. This sets out the scope and purpose of the Inquiry. It explains what will be investigated and what the inquiry hopes to achieve. We will help you understand how the inquiry may relate to your experience. Examples of what might be investigated include failures in care, policing, or public safety.

2. Applying to be a core participant

If you’ve been directly affected or have lost a loved one, you may be eligible to apply for core participant status. This gives you a formal role in the inquiry, access to documents and evidence, and the right to be represented by a solicitor. We’ll handle this application for you, setting out your connection to the inquiry and why your involvement matters. We can also apply for public funding at this stage. 

3. Providing evidence

The inquiry may ask for a written witness statement explaining what happened from your perspective. You might also be invited to give oral evidence at a public hearing. We’ll help you prepare your statement carefully and support you if you’re called to give evidence in person. You’ll never have to face questioning or attend a hearing without full legal support by your side.

4. Disclosure review

Once the inquiry begins gathering documents, the chair and legal team will release disclosure materials to the recognised core participants. These are the official records, statements, emails and reports that form the evidence base for the inquiry. JMW will review this disclosure on your behalf, identifying the most relevant documents and highlighting information that supports your account. The review helps us understand how the inquiry’s evidence fits together and shapes the questions we put to witnesses when hearings begin.

5. Attending hearings

Hearings are where evidence is presented, documents are reviewed, and witnesses speak. You can attend in person, follow the sessions online, and we will attend on your behalf. If you’re giving evidence, we’ll explain what to expect in advance and remain with you throughout. We may be given the opportunity to question the witnesses directly or to provide questions to Counsel to the Inquiry. 

6. The final report

At the end of the inquiry, the Chair or panel produces a final report setting out its findings and recommendations. These can help shape future policies or investigations. They may also produce interim reports during the process that can indicate how matters are proceeding. We’ll go through the findings with you, explaining what they mean and what steps can follow.

Public inquiries can be lengthy and emotional, but they are a powerful way to have your story heard and to prevent similar failures in the future. JMW stays with you throughout the process, offering guidance, reassurance and practical support at every stage.

Q

What kind of events are covered by public inquiries?

A

Public inquiries are held when an event or pattern of failings raises serious public concern about the actions of organisations that serve the public. They are usually established by a government minister when it is judged that an issue cannot be fully addressed through existing legal, disciplinary, or regulatory processes.

Before an inquiry is announced, officials will consider whether the event meets the threshold for investigation - meaning it involves substantial loss of life, widespread harm, or systemic failings by public authorities or major institutions. The decision often follows consultation between the relevant government departments, which together assess the scale of public concern, the need for transparency, and the potential for lessons to be learned.

Once the threshold is met, the minister sets the terms of reference, appoints an independent Chair or panel (often a senior judge or barrister), and confirms whether it will be a statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 or a non-statutory inquiry with a similar investigative structure.

Inquiries can investigate a wide range of organisations, including:

• Government departments, local authorities and public sector bodies, where decisions or omissions may have caused harm.
• NHS trusts and healthcare providers, where failures in care, safeguarding, or governance are alleged.
• Police forces and emergency services, where conduct, response, or oversight may be questioned.
• Educational, social care and public sector institutions, where systemic neglect or abuse has occurred.
• Private organisations or contractors carrying out public functions on behalf of the government.

Major inquiries are convened to examine how serious failings occurred, identify accountability, and recommend changes to prevent similar tragedies in future.

Q

Are inquiry hearings public?

A

Most hearings are held in public so that evidence can be heard transparently and reported by the media. This openness helps build trust in the process and allows families and communities to see how the inquiry reaches its conclusions. They are not always televised, but the evidence is always available to the public via a purpose-built website. 

Some sessions may be held privately if sensitive evidence is involved - for example, where information relates to children, national security, or ongoing criminal investigations. If you’re asked to give oral evidence, JMW will explain how the hearing will work, who will be present, and how your privacy will be protected where possible.

Q

What outcomes can be achieved through a public inquiry?

A

A public inquiry cannot award compensation or decide civil or criminal liability, but its findings often influence what happens next. The final report (and any interim reports published along the way) can lead to:

• Public recognition of failings and an official record of what happened.
• Policy or procedural reforms within government, healthcare, or public bodies.
• Further investigations, including potential criminal or regulatory action.
• Implementation of positive changes within public bodies, or sometimes dissolution of public bodies.

For many victims and families, an inquiry brings a sense of acknowledgement and change that goes beyond legal proceedings. JMW helps you contribute to that process and understand the outcomes that may follow once the inquiry’s findings are published.