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Inquests and Inquiries: Inquisitorial or Adversarial?

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While inquests are not intended as a means of apportioning blame, and inquiries have no power to determine any person’s civil or criminal liability, both forms of hearing have, in recent years, attracted criticism, as regards length, areas of investigation and particularly the content and style of questioning.

This conference will examine the structure and workings of Inquests and Inquiries, with a particular focus on advocacy, but will also look at the experiences undergone by those who have appeared as witnesses. The House of Lords Statutory Inquiries Committee Report (2025) says that "ideally, public inquiries should provide catharsis to victims" and are often "the only way for victims and survivors to seek redress" - but is this ideal always achieved?

The conference aims to enable participants to obtain a better understanding of these types of hearing, and the skills required for effective advocacy in them, while providing an open forum to discuss the issues they bring up.

Speakers include: Lord Hughes (Dawn Sturgess Inquiry), Jason Beer KC (Horizon, COVID-19, Leveson, Hutton and Grenfell Inquiries; Hillsborough inquest), HHJ Mark Lucraft KC (inquests into the 2017 Westminster Bridge attack, the 2017 London Bridge and Borough Market attack, and the 2019 Fishmongers' Hall stabbings) and Lord Arbuthnot (Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry).

The session includes lunch and will conclude with a drinks reception.

Start Date: 16th May 2026 at 10:00 am

End Date: 16th May 2026 at 4:00 pm

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

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