(C) OpenDemocracy
This story was originally published by OpenDemocracy and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Covid inquiry suspends showing Patrick Vallance diaries due to legal challenge [1]
[]
Date: 2023-10
The Covid inquiry has agreed to not show the diaries of Patrick Vallance in full during a legal bid to decide whether doing so breaches his human rights.
Lawyers representing the former chief scientific adviser requested this week that the inquiry not show complete diary pages, despite the fact they have already been deemed relevant evidence to the ongoing second module, which explores political decision-making.
Parts of his diaries have already been shown in the inquiry. One entry showed the former CMO calling Boris Johnson, “... all over the place and so completely inconsistent”.
Today, chair Heather Hallett said balancing Vallance’s human rights with the public interest argument of disclosing the diaries would require more time.
Help us uncover the truth about Covid-19 The Covid-19 public inquiry is a historic chance to find out what really happened. Make a donation
“I wish to see how the notes are used and the extent of the use,” she said. “I also wish to hear much fuller submissions on the principle issue of conducting the difficult balancing exercise of Patrick's [human rights] and the rights under Article 10 [freedom of expression].”
Hallett added: “I have decided therefore that for the time being we should adopt the practical approach of bringing up the relevant extracts being put to a witness on screen, but not the full page. The extracts will then be published following the day's hearing. We shall proceed on this basis until the resolution of the substantive issue.”
A hearing will take place at a later date.
On Monday, Vallance’s lawyers said he “describes them as a form of release which helped him focus on the challenges of the next day rather than dwelling on the events of the past”.
“It was a way of creating space... in what could have been an overwhelming situation,” they said.
A group of eight media organisations challenged his request, arguing the inquiry must allow full entries to be shown to provide context.
Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office made multiple attempts to withhold evidence from reaching the inquiry.
The government body lost a judicial review, which meant it was required to hand over evidence for the inquiry itself to determine whether it was relevant or irrelevant.
The inquiry continues.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/covid-inquiry-patrick-vallance-diaries-human-rights-boris-johnson/
Published and (C) by OpenDemocracy
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/opendemocracy/
