COVID inquiry points authorized discover to Cabinet Office for not handing over unredacted Johnson messages

The COVID inquiry has issued a authorized discover to the Cabinet Office for not handing over the complete contents of Boris Johnson’s messages.

The Cabinet Office tried to object to handing over the communications however was overruled by Baroness Hallett, the chair of the COVID inquiry.

But the inquiry chair has ordered that the discharge of unredacted WhatsApp messages and diary entries from the former prime minister.

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The order was first made final month, however the Cabinet Office appealed it.

Downing Street insisted the federal government was supplying “all relevant material” to the inquiry.

The Cabinet Office has already offered greater than 55,000 paperwork, 24 private witness statements and eight company statements to the inquiry.

But the federal government believes it has no obligation to reveal “unambiguously irrelevant” materials, in accordance with the Cabinet Office in its preliminary objection.

Lady Hallett disagrees, and underneath the Inquiries Act 2005 has the ultimate phrase.

In her response to the federal government, the chair rejects their argument about them deciding what or what is not “unambiguously irrelevant”.

She mentioned in her ruling that every one these paperwork “contain information that is potentially relevant” to how choices have been made through the pandemic.

Mr Johnson wrote to the inquiry claiming that he was not the one in charge for the redactions, and that the order “may directly and/or indirectly suggest that I have failed to provide documents to the Inquiry”.

He added: “Any such suggestion or implication would be unfair and untrue.”

Writing in a letter dated 24 May, he requested for a minimum of a 48-hour to delay the publication of the order, so he might search authorized recommendation.

He additionally revealed that he’s at present altering his authorized staff.

The inquiry didn’t grant this delay and printed the order the identical day – though they launched the letter from Mr Johnson alongside their announcement.

Within her reasoning, Lady Hallet states for instance that messages between Mr Johnson and his advisers concerning the Metropolitan Police’s dealing with of the Sarah Everard protests have been initially assessed by the Cabinet Office to be “unambiguously irrelevant” to the inquiry.

Redacted copies have been then provided, and these have since been unredacted.

Lady Hallett says this was “not a promising start”.

She additionally recognized communications – which have nonetheless solely been seen of their redacted type – that the chair considers are “in fact relevant to my investigation”.

The means by which WhatsApps have been used to type coverage between the UK and Scotland is listed for instance.

A spokesperson for COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK mentioned it was “outrageous” the federal government “think they can dictate to an independent inquiry which of Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages they can see”.

“With the revelations which have come out yesterday about him breaking lockdown guidelines, you actually do concern the worst about what they’re hiding.”

Labour’s deputy chief, Angela Rayner, mentioned: “The fact the COVID Inquiry has had to invoke legal powers to compel the handover of crucial documents suggests that this is a government with much to hide.

“Rather than preventing authorized battles to withhold proof, it’s important that ministers now comply so the general public is ready to get to the reality and people accountable may be held to account.”