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Helping organisations navigate public inquiries with confidence
Public inquiries place organisations under intense legal, operational and public scrutiny. Whether acting for a government department, NHS body, local authority, emergency service or private organisation, the demands of an inquiry can be significant. Alongside extensive disclosure exercises and witness preparation, organisations must continue delivering services, maintain public confidence and respond to political and media attention.
At Bevan Brittan, we understand that responding to an inquiry is about much more than managing legal risk. It requires practical advice, strategic judgement, anticipating decision points and risks, and a clear understanding of how public bodies services operate.
Our specialist Public Inquiries and Investigations team has acted in many of the UK’s most significant inquiries, reviews and investigations. We support clients throughout the entire lifecycle of an inquiry, helping them navigate complex legal issues while protecting their reputation, maintaining operational resilience and delivering the best possible outcome.
Our services
Inquiry preparedness
Effective preparation can significantly reduce risk and disruption should an inquiry arise.
We advise on governance arrangements, document preservation, disclosure protocols, investigation readiness, senior leadership briefings and witness preparation, helping organisations build robust processes before they come under scrutiny.Acting for core participants
We represent organisations and individuals throughout every stage of an inquiry.
Our support includes advising on applications for core participant status, disclosure obligations, evidence review, witness statements, hearing strategy, advocacy, opening and closing submissions, responses to warning letters and engagement with inquiry teams.
Solicitor to the inquiry
We also advise inquiry chairs and secretariats on the establishment, management and delivery of public inquiries.
Our lawyers assist with governance, procedural rules, inquiry protocols, evidence management, hearings, report drafting and publication, ensuring inquiries are delivered fairly, efficiently and in accordance with their statutory framework.
Our approach
Our objective is not simply to guide clients through an inquiry. We help them emerge from the process in the strongest possible position.
That means supporting organisations to:
- protect their reputation and maintain public confidence;
- meet their legal and disclosure obligations efficiently;
- establish a strategic approach to the inquiry;
- anticipate resource requirements and decision points;
- minimise operational disruption;
- support and prepare witnesses effectively;
- navigate potential conflicts of interest;
- manage relationships with regulators, Government and other stakeholders;
- implement recommendations and strengthen governance for the future.
By combining deep public sector expertise with extensive inquiry experience, we provide advice that is legally robust, commercially aware and grounded in the realities of public service.
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Why organisations choose us
Trusted advisers to the public sector and partners
Our longstanding relationships across Government, the NHS, local government and the wider public sector mean we understand the unique pressures our clients face. We appreciate that public inquiries are not simply legal proceedings—they are matters of public accountability, governance and trust.
Our advice is shaped by that understanding.
Clients include:
- Government and non-departmental public bodies
- NHS providers and commissioners
- Local authorities
- Independent sector providers
- Charities
- Royal colleges
We understand public services
Public law is at the heart of our firm.
This means we understand the legal, operational and political environment in which our clients operate. We appreciate that decisions are rarely taken in isolation and that organisations must balance statutory duties, public accountability, financial pressures and the delivery of vital public services.
Insight gained from Government
Many members of our team have worked within or alongside central Government, local government and other public bodies.
That experience provides valuable insight into how decisions are made and how public administration operates. We understand the expectations placed on public authorities, the importance of transparency and accountability, and the pressures faced by senior leaders operating under intense scrutiny.
This enables us to anticipate issues, identify practical solutions and provide advice that aligns with the wider public interest while protecting our clients’ legal position.
We understand that reputation matters
Public inquiries rarely take place away from public view. Media interest, political scrutiny and stakeholder expectations often run alongside the legal process.
Our lawyers recognise that an inquiry can have lasting consequences for an organisation’s reputation, relationships and public confidence.
We work closely with leadership teams, in-house lawyers and communications professionals to ensure legal strategy supports wider organisational objectives. By helping clients respond transparently and confidently, we minimise disruption and help protect your reputation.
We become an extension of your team
Public inquiries demand significant time and resource. Internal legal teams are often managing day-to-day responsibilities while responding to substantial disclosure exercises, preparing witnesses and supporting senior leaders.
We work collaboratively with our clients, integrating seamlessly with existing legal, governance and operational teams. Our lawyers provide the additional capacity, specialist expertise and project management needed to keep an inquiry moving while allowing organisations to remain focused on delivering their core services.
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Representative Experience
Our team has acted in many of the UK’s most significant public inquiries, investigations and independent reviews. Our experience spans establishing statutory inquiries, advising sponsoring departments, acting as Solicitor to the Inquiry, representing Core Participants and supporting public bodies responding to complex and high-profile investigations.
Delivering large-scale statutory inquiries
We have played a leading role in the establishment and delivery of major statutory inquiries and independent reviews, including the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Review, Windrush Lessons Learned Review, Magnox Statutory Inquiry and Manchester Arena Inquiry.
Our work has included designing inquiry governance, drafting Terms of Reference and protocols, advising Chairs and sponsoring departments, managing disclosure and Maxwellisation processes, leading multidisciplinary investigation teams and overseeing inquiries through to publication of their reports. We have also developed project management models that enabled multiple investigative workstreams to operate simultaneously while delivering within demanding timescales or budget constraints.
Supporting public bodies through high-profile public inquiries
We regularly advise government departments, NHS organisations, regulators and local authorities involved in nationally significant public inquiries, including the COVID-19 Inquiry, Lampard Inquiry, Dawn Sturgess Inquiry, Brook House Inquiry and Horizon Inquiry.
Our lawyers support clients throughout the inquiry process, providing advice on disclosure, evidence management, witness preparation, Rule 9 requests, governance and hearing preparation. We understand the pressures public bodies face when balancing legal obligations with the continued delivery of public services and maintaining public confidence under intense media and political scrutiny.
Advising on complex safeguarding and trauma-informed investigations
Our team has extensive experience advising on inquiries and investigations involving safeguarding failures, vulnerable individuals and institutional accountability.
This includes work on the Independent Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse, Jimmy Savile Inquiry, Thirlwall Inquiry, Lampard Inquiry, Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry, safeguarding investigations and investigations concerning vulnerable patients and protected groups.
We have developed trauma-informed approaches to witness engagement, evidence gathering and investigation management. This experience allows us to support organisations managing some of the most complex and emotionally challenging investigations.
Managing complex evidence and inquiry delivery
Large public inquiries require sophisticated project management alongside legal expertise. Our team has managed disclosure exercises involving hundreds of thousands of documents across multiple organisations, implemented technology-enabled document review platforms and coordinated multidisciplinary legal, project management and review teams.
Drawing on experience from inquiries including the COVID-19 Inquiry and Grenfell Inquiry, we help clients establish proportionate governance, control costs and manage fluctuating workloads.
Our integrated approach combines legal advice, project management, technology and process design to ensure defensible and cost-effective delivery.
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