NLJ this week: Mercer & the politics of the public inquiry

In this week’s NLJ, Nick Wrightson, partner, Kingsley Napley, looks at the legal powers to compel witnesses—and the political realities that surround their use.

Wrightson looks at issues relating to former minister of state for veterans’ affairs Johnny Mercer, who gave evidence to the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, in which he referred to information received in confidence.

The author also refers to issues surrounding the Covid-19 inquiry, in this topical article. He writes: ‘As public inquiries continue to proliferate, we can expect those conducting them to face more dilemmas over when to compel and when to look for another way to achieve what is required.’