Inquiry chair fires off immediate letter
Hello!
This was my first inquiry hearing. The day started with a bracing walk from Waterloo station across the Millennium Bridge to St Paul’s Cathedral where after breakfast and a chat with a fellow inquiry observer we attempted to find Juxon House (where the inquiry was talking place) together.
Eventually we did so – it really is right next door to St Paul’s Cathedral, but that didn’t stop us stomping around Paternoster Square for ten minutes trying to find it. This, on the left, is Juxon House:
Once inside we had a while to drink coffee, shake hands/bump fists choose some seats, and get comfortable.
I tweeted from inside the inquiry, which you can read on one web-page, with links, here, though the order to tweet with a three-minute delay to match the three minute delay applied to the as-live youtube broadcast made things very difficult. I was helped by having a live transcription screen in front of me, but I don’t think the situation is sustainable going forward.
I have written up the day’s events for you here. The headline news is that immediately after the hearing Sir Wyn Williams called on Fujitsu, the Post Office and the government to waive privilege on any internal document the inquiry wishes to see. This request has a one week deadline and challenges the above-mentioned to refuse. But as one tweeter pointed out:
“Privilege is privilege. “Not being a good look” hasn’t bothered Post Office, Fujitsu and govt so far. If they won’t [waive privilege], it’s probably game over for the victims. If they do, it’s almost certainly game over for PO etc”
… the inference being – why assure your own destruction by waiving privilege when you might be able to ride it out by continuing to assert it?
Well – let’s find out.
Thanks to everyone for your helpful correspondence. I am sorry the new website is not perfect. I will try to reply to everyone and start tinkering under website’s hood a bit more tomorrow.
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Nick Wallis