Independent Jersey Care Inquiry Preliminary Hearing: Frances Oldham QC
Channel: Independent Jersey Care Inquiry
Date: 2014-04-03

The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry is promising a "robust and fearless" investigation of the abuse of children in the island's care system over many decades.  
The Inquiry Chair, Frances Oldham QC, told a public hearing in St Helier today that the hearings would be "fair and open".
Mrs Oldham set out the way in which the Inquiry would proceed and introduced fellow members of the Panel, Alyson Leslie and Professor Sandy Cameron, and the Legal Team.
The Panel will be able to issue summonses to ensure that important documents are disclosed.
Stressing the Inquiry's independence, Mrs Oldham set out how the Panel would approach its fifteen terms of reference.  
They would establish what happened, whether the abuse was covered up and make recommendations for the future.
She renewed the appeal for potential witnesses, whatever their experience of the care system, to contact the Inquiry's legal advisors.
The hearings, most of which will be in public, will be held at Seaton Place in St Helier, in due course.

Full Transcript: http://www.jerseycareinquiry.org/Key%20Documents/AddressbyFrancesOldham.pdf