Public inquiries cover a wide range of topics, from fatal accidents to public finance mismanagement. The scope of a public inquiry is defined by their terms of reference, which outline the questions to be asked and the objectives of the inquiry. These are influenced by consultations with affected individuals and groups.
Although inquiries are government-funded, they operate independently. Public inquiries have become a common feature within UK governance, with multiple inquiries running at any given time.
In recent years, digital tools have become vital to the ordinary running of inquiries. Technology has helped make it possible to receive and analyse what can sometimes be thousands of documents, witness statements and expert opinions without being resource intensive.
The following article explains how to run a public inquiry, and how to support inquiries using digital engagement platforms.
What Is A Public Inquiry?
Statutory and non-statutory public inquiries are major investigations initiated by a government in response to anything that is deemed to be of “significant public concern”. These inquiries have the power to compel witness testimony and the release of evidence. This allows those conducting the inquiry to examine the issue fully. A famous example of this would be the UK’s recent Post Office public inquiry
The purpose of an independent inquiry is generally to establish what happened, why it happened, and most importantly how to prevent similar incidents from happening going forward. While inquiries do not determine criminal or civil liability, their findings can be used to influence policy and legal reforms. Policy-makers and experts in relevant fields contribute their recommendations, which then guide government response.
How To Run A Public Inquiry: 7 Steps
1. Commissioning the Inquiry
The first step in running a public inquiry is commissioning. This is usually done by a government minister in the ministry most relevant to the inquiry (e.g the Transport secretary would generally be the one to commission an inquiry into a train derailment). Public inquiries are typically convened in response to specific and significant events.
Ministers are responsible for determining whether the inquiry should be statutory or non-statutory. If the inquiry is to be statutory, it is governed by the Inquiries Act 2005, which grants it specific powers to compel witnesses to give evidence and produce documents. The minister will also work with the chairperson and legal team to establish the inquiry’s terms of reference.
2. Appointing the Chair and Panel Members
Once the terms of reference are set, the other duty of a Minister is to appoint a chair. The chair will oversee the process, and should ensure impartiality and fairness. The chair is often a judge or a senior barrister with significant experience in managing complex investigations. They should have relevant expertise and be independent from the government, as the chairperson is held under considerable public scrutiny.
In addition to the chair, the minister may appoint other panel members, depending on the expertise needed for the inquiry. Panel members are appointed after consultation with the chair and ensure the panel has the necessary breadth of knowledge to carry out the investigation.
3. Engaging Core Participants and Witnesses
A key focus of the inquiry is the identification of who the core participants and witnesses will be, and engaging them. This includes:
- Individuals or organisations with a direct interest in the investigation.
- Individuals who played a significant role in the event being investigated.
- Those likely to face public scrutiny based on the evidence.
- Witnesses to the events under investigation.
- Witnesses to contextual factors leading to the event.
In statutory inquiries, witnesses can be compelled to attend, provide statements, and produce evidence. In non-statutory inquiries, participation is voluntary.
4. Evidence Gathering
The inquiry’s will need to secure relevant documents, reports, and data. This can include official records, internal communications, and expert analyses. Depending on the inquiry, there may also be various witness statements to record.
Digital tools are often used during the evidence gathering phase as there will often be a very large volume of documentation. Digital platforms are particularly useful for issuing calls for evidence, and gathering official statements, particularly written documents. Oral statements are commonly required as part of an inquiry, but these statements are also generally transcribed and recorded. These can then also be managed more easily within a digital platform.
Once evidence is gathered, it must be properly managed to ensure its integrity. This involves maintaining a secure and transparent process to avoid tampering or bias. Security concerns mean public inquiries should only use technology that has been purpose built.
“Evidence-based decision-making is an important element of a democratic system, and calls for evidence form a vital step in the making and changing of policy or legislation.”
5. Holding Public Hearings
Public hearings and focus groups are often a component of a public inquiry. These hearings allow witnesses to provide oral testimony, which is sometimes legally necessary in a statutory inquiry. It is also an opportunity for experts to be consulted publicly.
Members of the public can often attend hearings or watch them through live broadcasts or online, further ensuring transparency in the process.
6. Drafting the Report
After collecting all the evidence, the chair and panel need to draft a report. This report should detail the findings, summarise the evidence, and address the terms of reference established at the start of the inquiry.
The report must be clear and accessible to the public. It will include conclusions about what happened, why it happened, and who was responsible without establishing criminal liability. It will also contain recommendations to prevent a recurrence of the event.
Digital analysis tools are often used during this stage to sort through a large number of responses. Although these tools cannot replace expert input, they are used to reduce the resources necessary to sort through evidence and demonstrate trends.
The report may be subjected to a process of review, particularly for sensitive or classified information, before it is finalised. A public inquiry’s findings and recommendations are non-binding, meaning that they do not carry legal weight. However, the government or relevant bodies are expected to consider the findings and act on the recommendations.
7. Publishing and Following Up on Recommendations
The final stage of a public inquiry is the publication of the report. Statutory inquiries are required to submit the final report to the government minister who commissioned it, who will usually then make it available to the public.
Although not legally required, the government is expected to respond to the report, indicating how it will address the recommendations. To ensure accountability, some inquiries establish a system for following up on recommendations.
A 2024 House of Lords review recommended:
“The monitoring and implementation of inquiry recommendations is essential. Additionally, public trust is lost where inquiries are unnecessarily protracted, and costs perceived to be excessive. The findings of this report aim to make inquiries as effective, cost-efficient and trusted as possible.”
As well as gathering and analysing data, digital engagement platforms can be used to provide feedback from inquiries to respondents and interested parties in an accessible format. This transparency builds trust in the inquiry process.
Supporting a Public Inquiry With Digital Tools
Public inquiries are inherently document-heavy, often spanning years of investigation, multiple parties, and vast amounts of data. The introduction of digital tools has revolutionised the way key documents are reviewed, analysed, and acted upon, ensuring that inquiries are conducted with efficiency and precision.
Digital engagement platforms offer a simpler, secure way of gathering and managing inquiry responses. In inquiries that wish to consult a large section of the general public, for example those impacted by natural disasters or other widely affecting issues, digital tools can also be used to ensure responses are representative and inclusive.
Digital engagement platforms can be used in public inquiries to:
- Manage large volumes of public responses efficiently, making it easier to process and analyse substantial amounts of information both quantitatively and qualitatively.
- Make all participants aware of the terms of reference of the inquiry.
- Enhance accessibility by allowing people to participate remotely and track the progress of the inquiry.
- Improve transparency by providing real-time updates, ensuring the public is kept informed throughout the inquiry’s stages.
- Feedback analysis and conclusions to respondents and the public.
While technology enhances efficiency, it does not replace legal expertise. Instead, it empowers professionals to make informed decisions quickly and accurately.. By integrating digital tools into the public inquiry process, inquiries can achieve thorough, cost-effective, and timely outcomes, ultimately serving the public interest more effectively.
Citizen Space is an engagement platform designed for public inquiries. Its robust privacy, security, and compliance features, ensure that sensitive data is handled with the highest standards. Its proven ability to manage large volumes of responses makes it particularly effective for inquiries where extensive public participation is needed.
The platform’s centralised and flexible user management system allows administrators to assign different levels of access, ensuring that those involved in the inquiry can be managed efficiently.
How Citizen Space Supported The National UK Covid-19 Inquiry
The Covid -19 pandemic was one of the most significant global events in memory. The pandemic caused millions of excess deaths worldwide, alongside economic turmoil, and widespread disruption.
Following this period, the UK government launched the National Covid-19 Inquiry to examine the country’s preparedness, decision-making, and overall response to the pandemic.
Given the scale of the Inquiry and the need for broad public engagement, an accessible and secure platform was essential for gathering evidence and experiences from individuals, organisations, and experts. The Inquiry chose to use Citizen Space to host the public inquiry consultation.
The Inquiry required a robust system capable of handling a high volume of responses while maintaining strict data security and accessibility standards. Citizen Space allowed individuals to submit their experiences easily, ensuring that a diverse range of voices were heard.
This data was highly sensitive, including details of bereavements and long-term health effects, to economic struggles and mental health challenges. Data security was therefore of paramount importance. Citizen Space’s secure infrastructure provided confidence that personal testimonies and evidence were protected.
Using Citizen Space, the Covid-19 public Inquiry was able to gather extensive public input, ensuring that the voices of those affected were central to shaping lessons for future pandemic preparedness and response.
Citizen Space is the go-to platform for connecting governments, developers, and citizens. If you’d like to learn more about how our software streamlines public engagement and provides planners with enriched geospatial data, book a free demo and we’ll walk you through it.
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