The Right Honourable Sir Charles Haddon-Cave, Chair of the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan (‘the Inquiry’) is today inviting those with a significant interest in the terms of reference to apply to be designated as core participants to the Inquiry under rule 5 of the Inquiry Rules 2006.
A core participant is a person
- Who played, or who may have played, a direct and significant role in relation to the matters to which the inquiry relates, or
- Who has a significant interest in an important aspect of the matters to which the Inquiry relates, or
- Who may be subject to explicit or significant criticism during the Inquiry proceedings, or in an interim or final report.
A person may volunteer evidence, or be asked to provide evidence, to the Inquiry whether or not they are a core participant. However, in contrast to witnesses, those designated as core participants will (either through their legal representatives and/or personally) be able to:
- Receive electronic disclosure of evidence the Chair considers relevant to their participation, subject to any restrictions made under section 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005 including terms of confidentiality, in advance of this being disclosed at a public hearing.
- Make opening and closing statements within the Inquiry.
- Propose lines of questioning of other witnesses to be called by the Inquiry.
- Apply to ask questions of witnesses directly.
Further information about core participant status is included in the IIA Core Participant notice and Q&A document which can be found on our website under the Documents page.
Applications for designation as a core participant should be made in writing and addressed to the Chair of the Inquiry, the Right Honourable Sir Charles Haddon-Cave, via the solicitor to the Inquiry Piers Doggart who can be contacted by email: piers.doggart@iia.independent-inquiry.uk within the next 2 weeks and is to be received no later than 16:00 on Thursday 20 April 2023.
