Inquiries

If your organisation is facing an inquiry, Bates Wells has the expertise to guide you successfully through the process.

Maybe you may need guidance on the scope of the inquiry, or you’re unsure whether to apply for core participant status. You may have been asked to provide evidence to the inquiry. You may have questions on disclosure, legal privilege, submissions and witness statements; preparing witnesses for giving evidence; or warning letters, and the content of the inquiry’s draft report.

Our specialist team not only provides support on these issues, but delivers strategic advice that goes beyond the legal necessities.

How we help

We have over twenty years’ experience supporting clients through high-profile and often sensitive inquiries. When it comes to statutory inquiries opened by the Charity Commission, our leading expertise in charity law coupled with our public and regulatory experience means we are uniquely placed to help.

We specialise in safeguarding and are acting for a number of clients facing inquiries in relation to allegations of sexual harassment and sexual abuse. We have worked for a number of charities who have been named or called to give evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

We have recently advised an organisation which received a request for information and documents from the Infected Blood Inquiry.

The inquiries team has advised an organisation in relation to the Grenfell Inquiry.

We also advised the Lucy Faithfull Foundation on the Wass Inquiry into allegations concerning child safety issues in St Helena and Ascension Islands.

Further international inquiry work undertaken by the firm includes an inquiry into the prison and parole provision in the Maldives and reform of the Attorney General’s Chambers in Guyana.

Our inquiries work is led by Matthew Smith. The team regularly advises public, regulatory and other not for profit/public interest organisations in relation to public inquiries. The team also work closely with charity law specialist colleagues in respect of statutory inquiries opened by the Charity Commission.

 

Relevant work:

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Various large charities

We’re advising on all aspects, including core participant status, the preservation of records and the interplay with the Data Protection Act and reporting obligations to the Charity Commission.
We acted for the Children’s Society which was called to give evidence in one of the investigations.

Infected Blood Inquiry

We advised a charity on how to respond to an information request from the Inquiry and reporting to the Charity Commission.

Grenfell Inquiry

We advised an interested party which wanted to submit evidence to the Inquiry and to apply for core participant status.

Advising on international inquiries

Some of our recent international inquiry work includes an inquiry into the prison and parole provision in the Maldives and reform of the Attorney General’s Chambers in Guyana.

Wass Inquiry, Lucy Faithfull Foundation

We advised the charity on the Wass Inquiry, which focused on allegations concerning child safety issues in St Helena and Ascension Islands.

Meet our team