UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent
theguardian.com, Monday 14 July 2014
Lady Butler-Sloss, the retired high court judge, has resigned as chair of the panel that is due to examine the extent to which public institutions failed to investigate allegations of child abuse after admitting that she had failed to take into account a family conflict of interest.
Hours after the former solicitor general Vera Baird called on Butler-Sloss to stand down because her brother served as attorney general in the 1980s, when reports of child abuse were allegedly not examined properly, the former judge issued a statement announcing that she would withdraw from the post.
Butler-Sloss said she had been honoured to be invited to chair the inquiry. But she added: “It has become apparent over the last few days, however, that there is a widespread perception, particularly among victim and survivor groups, that I am not the right person to chair the inquiry. It has also become clear to me that I did not sufficiently consider whether my background and the fact my brother had been attorney general would cause difficulties.”
The retired judge had faced intense criticism from victims’ groups because her brother, the late Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general during the 1980s – the period due be examined by the panel. …
Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee who raised concerns about the appointment with the Home Office permanent secretary, Mark Sedwill, last week, said that the inquiry was now becoming shambolic.
Vax said: “I am not surprised by this decision – it is the right one. As I pointed out to Mr Sedwill the public would be concerned that a member of parliament, no matter how distinguished, had been appointed to head this important panel. The whole inquiry process is becoming shambolic: missing files, ministers refusing to read reports and now the chair resigning before the inquiry is has even commenced.”
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