Page 10 - When Things Go Wrong
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Hearing procedure and practice
Bereaved people and survivors are not provided with adequate information, support
and empathy during inquest and inquiry hearings. Drawing again on previous
JUSTICE working parties on accessibility, we suggest professionals should attend
training on appropriate communication techniques and support services be signposted
before and after the hearing.
Other recommendations include modifying inquiry rules to allow core participants to
question witnesses directly and for the widespread use of commemorative “pen
portraits” as well as considering how inquests and inquiries could better provide
therapeutic spaces for bereaved and survivor testimony, without the pressure of legal
formalities.
Learning, accountability and systemic change
Effecting systemic change is a complex process. We conclude that an independent
body should lead oversight and monitoring of the implementation of inquest and
inquiry recommendations, whose review could aid scrutiny by parliamentary
committees.
A system cannot provide justice if its processes exacerbate the grief and trauma of its
participants. Our recommendations seek to ensure that inquests and inquiries are
responsive to the needs of bereaved people and survivors, while minimising the delay
and duplication that impede effectiveness and erode public confidence.
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