Abuse inquiry 'is gagging the lawyers who resigned': New secrecy row after accusation staff were stopped from talking to MPs about why they quit

By Rebecca Camber And Ian Drury
Daily Mail
November 22, 2016

https://goo.gl/1YbcNY

The Home Affairs Select Committee has requested written evidence from seven lawyers who have resigned from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. Pictured is Professor Alexis Jay, chair of the inquiry, giving evidence to MPs

Labour MP Lisa Nandy accused the Government of ducking responsibility and using the independence of the inquiry as a ‘smokescreen'

The beleaguered child abuse inquiry faced a new secrecy row last night as it was accused of gagging lawyers from talking to MPs about why they have quit.

The Home Affairs Select Committee has requested written evidence from seven lawyers who have resigned from Britain’s biggest public inquiry.

But the Mail has learnt that the barristers have been prevented from speaking out under contractual rules. The inquiry has refused to waive legal privilege, which prevents all communications between a lawyer and their client from being disclosed without the permission of the client, which in this case is the inquiry.

According to a source, three out of four lawyers who have responded to the committee so far, say they cannot talk about their time there in detail due to legal privilege rules.

But one senior barrister Hugh Davies, QC, is said to be so frustrated that he has written a strongly-worded critique of its conduct and his views on how complaints by staff should have been handled.

Mr Davies was deputy lead counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse until his resignation in December last year.

The committee of MPs is now due to meet later today and is seeking legal advice on the issue which is likely to delay the publication of the crucial evidence until Thursday.

Victims groups have reacted with anger to the development, saying they deserve to know the truth after a series of resignations in the wake of toxic allegations of racism, bullying and sexual assault at the inquiry.

Andrew Lavery of Whiteflowers Alba said: ‘This is outrageous, we live in a democracy.

‘These lawyers have a duty to victims of sexual violence to tell the truth.

‘This inquiry is rotten to the core. It is anything but open and transparent.

‘It just seems like a black hole swallowing up justice.’

Yesterday MPs accused the Government of ducking responsibility for a series of scandals engulfing the inquiry, using its independence as a ‘smokescreen’.

Labour MP Lisa Nandy told the Commons: ‘They have lost seven senior lawyers, three chairs and several survivors groups and it is now impossible to see this inquiry is still effectively operating.

‘This may be the last chance that the Prime Minister and her Home Secretary have to rescue the inquiry that she set up, from collapse.

‘Will she now stop hiding behind the smokescreen of independence (and) recognise that she has responsibility for this inquiry’s success and get a grip on it?’

But Home Office minister Sarah Newton insisted the inquiry’s fourth chair Professor Alexis Jay was the right person for the job, and denied the Government was using the independence of the inquiry as a means to deflect criticism.

The future of the £100million probe has been plunged into turmoil after the biggest victims’ group, the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (SOSA) announced it was boycotting the inquiry last week, branding it an ‘unpalatable circus’ and other victims’ groups have also expressed no faith in Professor Jay.

Senior Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who has also called for the chair to be removed, suggested that the 600 victims abused at Shirley Oaks Children’s Home in Lambeth had been treated more like criminals by the inquiry as it claimed victims should be compelled to give evidence.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott also waded into the row, demanding to know what was the Home Office’s involvement in the ‘monitoring and supervision’ of Lambeth children’s homes during the period when the ‘historic child abuse occurred’.

She went on: ‘Ministers cannot let this inquiry just run into the sand. The public expects better, this House expects better and the survivors expect better.’

Miss Newton replied: ‘I can absolutely assure you and every other member in this House that we will absolutely not let this inquiry run into the sand.’

She said 80 claims of child sexual abuse were being referred to police a week and more than 500 people have come forward to give to the so-called Truth Project, whose accounts are not being verified in any way.

A spokeswoman for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse refused to discuss the lawyers’ letters yesterday saying: ‘It would not be appropriate for us to comment on Home Affairs Committee business.’