The Inquiry’s Report will be published on 20 May 2024, at a closing event to be held in Church House, Westminster, in London. Registration is now open here.
The Report will set out and explain the many failings at systemic, collective and individual levels over more than six decades. Finalising a Report of this magnitude, in terms of the sheer scale and seriousness of the criticisms, is complex.
This is both because of the warning letter process with regard to those criticisms, which the Inquiry is legally required to follow, and because of the need to do justice to the exceptionally wide range of evidence which has been provided.
Sir Brian Langstaff, Chair of the Inquiry said:
“I am sorry to tell you that the report will be published later than March. That is not what I had intended. I am acutely aware of the need for the Report to be available as soon as possible. When I reviewed the plans for publication, I nonetheless had to accept that a limited amount of further time is needed to publish a Report of this gravity and do justice to what has happened.
The Inquiry’s final recommendations on compensation were published in April 2023. My principal recommendation remains that a compensation scheme should be set up with urgency. No-one should be in any doubt about the serious nature of the failings over more than six decades that have led to catastrophic loss of life and compounded suffering.”
Publication of the Report
The day of publication will start with an opportunity for Inquiry participants to view the report online in advance of publication, covered by a Restriction Order. This will be followed by Sir Brian Langstaff’s remarks when the Report is published. There will then be Reflections to close the day, similar to the Commemoration held before the preliminary hearings.
We are asking participants who wish to attend Church House in person to register by the end of Sunday 28 January so that the Inquiry can confirm attendance by Friday 2 February. If it becomes necessary, the Inquiry will use a ballot to give participants a fair opportunity to attend.
Sir Brian’s remarks and the Reflections event will be streamed live on YouTube.
Any members of the media wishing to attend should contact the Inquiry’s media team.