Paul Livingston part of the ‘Panorama’ Brook House Inquiry team – hearings start today

Paul Livingston is Junior Counsel to the Brook House public inquiry, set up to investigate mistreatment of individuals detained at Brook House IRC in 2017, as shown on BBC Panorama’s “Under-Cover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets”. Hearings began earlier today with an opening statement from Brian Altman QC, Leading Counsel to the Inquiry..

Chaired by Kate Eves, The Brook House Inquiry is a public inquiry set up to investigate the decisions, actions and circumstances surrounding the mistreatment of individuals who were detained at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) shown in the BBC Panorama programme “Under-Cover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets”, aired on 4 September 2017. The Inquiry will consider allegations of mistreatment at Brook House relating to the period from April 2017 to August 2017.

Paul Livingston has been instructed as Junior Counsel to the Inquiry, led by Brian Altman QC.

First Phase of Inquiry

The first phase of hearings started today, 23rd November 2021 to much media attention and is due to continue until Friday 10^th December 2021. The first phase will include opening statements, and evidence from:

• Formerly detained persons;
• Callum Tulley, who filmed the footage broadcast by Panorama on an undercover basis whilst working as a Detention Custody Officer for G4S at Brook House;
• NGOs who worked at Brook House at the relevant time;
• A small number of former staff members.

Paul is due to question witnesses in early December.

Phase 2 of the Inquiry

The next phase will commence in February 2022 and will hear evidence from former staff, management, oversight bodies, and expert witnesses.

Find out more

Full details of the inquiry including the team, hearing details, evidence as it is published and support information can be found on the specially established Brook House Inquiry website.

News coverage on the opening day includes:

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-59388291
• https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2021-11-23/inquiry-begins-into-allegations-of-abuse-at-uk-immigration-centre-brook-house
• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brook-house-inquiey-home-office-kate-eves-uk-b1958549.html

About Paul Livingston

Paul has considerable experience of public inquiries, having been instructed as junior counsel to a public inquiry continuously since the beginning of his career. This includes the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry and three separate strands of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

Paul was appointed as Junior Counsel to the Brook House Inquiry in November 2020.

To find out more about Paul please contact Nick Levett +44 (0)20 7427 4908 or Adam Macdonald +44 (0)20 7427 4906 for a confidential discussion.

News 23 Nov, 2021