13/01/2009

Robert Hamill Inquiry Opens Public Sessions

The Robert Hamill Inquiry commenced its full public hearings today.

The probe - at the Interpoint Centre in Belfast - is examining how Robert Hamill died following an incident in Portadown on 27th April, 1997.

The Inquiry is into the role of the then Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) with regard to the circumstances surrounding Mr Hamill's death and the subsequent investigation.

The Inquiry will also examine the role of the Northern Ireland Director for Public Prosecutions in relation to the police investigation. Proceedings began today with opening remarks by the Inquiry's Chairman, Sir Edwin Jowitt, (who is pictured here).

This will be followed by an opening address from leading Counsel to the Inquiry, Ashley Underwood QC, which will set out the structure of the Inquiry, and the main issues to be considered.

Legal representatives for the main interested parties to the Inquiry will then be given an opportunity to make opening addresses if they wish.

The Inquiry will hear evidence from approximately 160 witnesses who will appear in person.

It is intended that most of this evidence will be heard by the end of May 2009, although the Inquiry has scheduled further sittings in September 2009 to hear any outstanding oral evidence.

The Inquiry hopes to complete its report and present it to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by June 2010.

The Inquiry was set up by the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in November 2004.

Since then, the Inquiry team has interviewed over 230 prospective witnesses, and has collated and reviewed over 20,000 documents.

The Chairman is Sir Edwin Jowitt, who was a Justice of the High Court, Queen's Bench Division, from 1988 to 2000.

The other members of the Inquiry Panel are Reverend Baroness (Kathleen) Richardson of Calow, who is currently the Moderator of the Churches' Commission for Inter Faith Relations, and Sir John Evans, who was Chief Constable of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary between 1989 and 2002, during which time he was also President of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The Inquiry is open the public.

(BMcC/JM)

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