About the Inquiry

Inquiry Closure

Date: 31st October 2022

The Chairman to the Inquiry has written to the Home Secretary to confirm that, having fulfilled its Terms of Reference, the Inquiry will be formally closing on 31st October 2022, as per Section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005.

Responses to Inquiry Report Recommendations

Date: 31st October 2022

The Inquiry has sought responses from the organisations who received recommendations, as part of the Report. These responses will be published here, as they are received.

Inquiry Report Published

Date: 5th July 2022

Today, the Inquiry has published its Report and laid it before Parliament. You can access the Report, along with an accompanying statement from the Chairman of the Inquiry, below.

Overview

On 12 February 2020 the Home Secretary announced an independent inquiry, under the Inquiries Act 2005, to investigate the circumstances of the death of Jermaine Baker during a Metropolitan Police Service operation on 11 December 2015. It has been necessary to establish an inquiry so as to permit all relevant evidence to be heard.

The Written Ministerial Statement of the Inquiry

Conclusion of Inquiry Hearings

The Inquiry will be hearing closing oral submissions from core participants on Monday 6th September 2021 and Wednesday 8th September 2021. The running order can be found in the link below.

Thereafter, the Inquiry will move into its next phase – the writing of the Inquiry Report by the Chairman and his legal team. Updates will be provided on the website as the Report is close to finalisation and when details of its publication become known.

Commencement of Oral Hearings

The Inquiry will be commencing its substantive oral hearings on Monday 14th June 2021. They are anticipated to run up until Friday 6th August 2021 at the latest.

They will be held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre [IDRC], Chronicle House, 2nd floor, 72-78 Fleet Street, London EC4A 1HY.

Except for hearings which have been designated as ‘closed’, members of the public are allowed to attend the hearings. Seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Sitting times will generally be between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

The Inquiry will generally not sit on Fridays. However, if required, due to delays to progress, Fridays may be utilised.

The timetable for hearings will be published on a rolling weekly basis – usually the Thursday beforehand.

There will be security checks and bag searches taking place prior to entering the hearing room.

Hearings will be livestreamed during the opening week. Thereafter, livestreaming will depend on the government’s easing of Covid restrictions. The YouTube link to our channel is: Jermaine Baker Public Inquiry – YouTube

Due to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, the Inquiry will be stopping the livestreaming to YouTube of its hearings after Thursday 22nd July. We have a large public gallery and members of the public are welcome to attend in person to watch the remainder of the hearings. Full details for those wishing to attend in person can be found above.

Inquiry Team

Chairman to the Inquiry

HH Clement Goldstone QC

HH Clement Goldstone QC was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 1971. He was appointed an Assistant Recorder in 1988, a Recorder in 1992 and Queen’s Counsel in 2002. In 2002, he was appointed a Circuit Judge and sat in Manchester; in 2006, he was authorised to sit at the Central Criminal Court; in 2009, he was appointed an additional Judge of the Court of Appeal [Criminal Division]; in 2011, he was appointed a Senior Circuit Judge, Resident Judge and Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, where he remained until his retirement in 2019.

In April 2019, he was appointed as a Deputy Coroner and nominated by the Lord Chief Justice as Coroner in the Inquest into the death of Jermaine Baker. On 12 February 2020, the Home Secretary announced her decision to convert the Inquest into a Public Inquiry, and appointed HH Clement Goldstone QC as Chairman.


Counsel to the Inquiry

Kate Blackwell QC

Kate Blackwell QC is Counsel to the Jermaine Baker Inquiry. She was called to the Bar in 1992 and took silk in 2012. She is Deputy Head of Lincoln House Chambers in Manchester and also a member of 2 Hare Court Chambers in London. She is a Master of the Bench at Lincoln’s Inn.

Kate is an expert in public inquiries, inquests, and serious crime. Recent appointments include Counsel to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel Inquiry, Counsel to the Gosport Independent Panel Inquiry and Counsel to NHS England in the Manchester Arena Inquiry. She has also prosecuted and defended in many high profile cases.


Solicitors to the Inquiry

Tim Suter

Tim Suter is a partner at Fieldfisher LLP. He has experience of advising those conducting independent inquiries and inquests. His role is to assist the Chairman on legal issues that may arise in the course of the Inquiry’s investigation. Tim is currently acting as the solicitor to the Manchester Arena Inquiry and previously acted as the solicitor to the Hillsborough Inquests and Birmingham 1974 pub bombings Inquests. He has also previously acted as the deputy solicitor to the inquests into the London Bombings of 7 July 2005 and the public inquiry into the death of the Russian dissident, Alexander Litvinenko.


Abigail Scholefield

Abigail is a Senior Associate at Fieldfisher LLP and specialises in acting for high-profile and complex public inquiries and inquests. She is currently an Investigation Lawyer at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and previously assisted the solicitor to the Litvinenko Inquiry. Abigail also represented Iraqi witnesses at the Al-Sweady Inquiry.


Secretary to the Inquiry

James Esses

James began his career as a Criminal Defence Barrister before transitioning into the Civil Service. Since then, he has held several policy posts relating to criminal justice, including Head of Prosecutions at Transport for London and Head of Policy at the Crown Prosecution Service.

Most recently, he was Head of Strategic Legislation at the Home Office. James is also undertaking a Masters in Psychotherapy.