Latest News

The Inquiry has published the provisional timetable for its second week of business and welfare impact hearings, taking place from 9–13 December. 

The Inquiry has published the provisional timetable for its first week of business and welfare impact hearings, taking place from 2–6 December. 

The Inquiry has published the provisional timetable for its third week of education and certification impact hearings, taking place from 18–20 November. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has announced a final series of impact hearings, exploring impacts of the pandemic not yet covered in its health and social care, education and certification, or business and welfare themes.

More than 10,000 people have shared their experiences of the pandemic with Let’s Be Heard, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry’s public participation project.

Ian Duddy, Chief Executive of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, provides an update on the Inquiry's work, including its public participation project, Let's Be Heard; the recent preliminary hearings; and his reflections on the purpose of public inquiries.

The Inquiry has published the provisional timetable for its second week of education and certification impact hearings, taking place from 12–15 November. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published the timetable for week one of its Portfolio 4 (education and certification) impact hearings, starting on 5 November 2024.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published a list of the issues it is investigating under each of its Terms of Reference.

The Inquiry has published Rule 9 guidance for core participants and recognised legal representatives regarding the timing and means of requesting questions for witnesses during the upcoming impact hearings. 

Members of Scotland’s business community are invited to share their experiences of the pandemic by 30 September 2024. 

The Inquiry is now accepting requests to attend its preliminary hearings for Portfolio 4 (education and certification) and Portfolio 2 (business and welfare).

The Inquiry is inviting young people, teachers and other education professionals from across Scotland to share their experiences of the pandemic through Let’s Be Heard, its public participation project. 

The Inquiry has published a procedure setting out how it will select and instruct expert witnesses to provide evidence and opinions which may assist the Chair in fulfilling the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference.

The Inquiry has announced it will now hold its preliminary hearings for Portfolio 4 (education and certification) and Portfolio 2 (business and welfare) on Thursday 19 September 2024, rather than over two days.

Members of the business community are invited to share their experiences of the pandemic in Scotland through the Let's Be Heard business survey. 

The Inquiry is inviting applications from core participants for leave to appear in respect of its business, welfare and finance impact hearings.

Ian Duddy, Chief Executive of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, provides an update on the next steps for the Inquiry and its investigations.

The Inquiry is inviting applications from core participants for leave to appear in respect of its education and certification impact hearings.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry announces it will start its hearings investigating the impacts of the pandemic on education and certification (Portfolio 4) on 4 November 2024, before moving onto the impact of the pandemic on the financial and welfare support given to businesses and individuals (Portfolio 2).

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published core participants’ written closing statements ahead of its final health and social care impact hearings.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published a policy statement setting out how it will consider equalities issues while investigating the devolved strategic response to the pandemic in Scotland.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published the list of closing statements to be delivered on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 June, marking the end of its health and social care impact hearings.

The Inquiry is now accepting requests to attend closing statements for its health and social care impact hearings on 27 and 28 June.

Let’s Be Heard, the Inquiry’s public participation project, has launched its next stage, Focused Engagement. This phase will help broaden the Inquiry’s understanding of the pandemic’s impact on communities across Scotland.

The Inquiry has published an update regarding Lesley Roberts' announcement that she no longer intends to give evidence at a public hearing. 

The Inquiry has published the provisional timetable for its final week of Health and Social Care Impact Hearings from 21–23 May. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published further academic research relating to two of its investigative portfolios.

Important dates in the Inquiry's hearings timeline have been published. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published the provisional timetable for its Health and Social Care Impact Hearings from 14-17 May. 

Ian Duddy, Chief Executive of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, has written an update detailing what's ahead for the Inquiry, including its hearings venue and future hearings.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published the provisional timetable for its Health and Social Care Impact Hearings from 7-10 May. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published the provisional timetable for its Health and Social Care Impact Hearings from 30 April–1 May. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published a provisional timetable for its Health and Social Care Impact Hearings from 23–26 April.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published further academic research relating to two of the Inquiry’s investigative portfolios.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published a provisional timetable for its Health and Social Care Impact Hearings from 16–19 April.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is now accepting requests to attend its Health and Social Care Impact Hearings (16-19 April and 23-26 April).

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published a provisional timetable for its Health and Social Care Impact Hearings from 26-28 March.

The provisional timetable for the Inquiry's Health and Social Care Impact Hearings from 12-15 March and 19-22 March is now available.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is now accepting requests to attend for the first three weeks of the second tranche of its health and social care impact hearings.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is accepting applications for core participant status from those with an interest in the Inquiry’s terms of reference 2(j) and (l).

In a series of videos answering commonly asked questions about how the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry works, Ian Duddy explains how the Inquiry gathers evidence to inform its investigations and reports.

The first in a series of short videos has been published, answering commonly asked questions about how the Inquiry works.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry will resume its health and social care impact hearings on 12 March 2024, continuing through to 28 March before a short pause over the Easter break.

Pauline Reid brings more than 28 years’ legal expertise to the independent investigation into the handling of the pandemic in Scotland. 

Lord Brailsford, Chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, has very recently been diagnosed with a kidney tumour. He is continuing to work and is expected to make a full recovery following surgery.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has paused its health and social care impact hearings to allow for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry to begin its Scotland (Module 2A) hearings in January.

The Inquiry has postponed this week’s hearing, originally planned for Tuesday 12 December, due to Lord Brailsford being taken ill.

The latest edition of our newsletter features information about Let's Be Heard's first report, how to apply for core participant status in education and certification, as well as more information about the Inquiry's impact hearings. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is accepting applications for core participant status from those with an interest in the Inquiry’s term of reference 2(k), which is education and certification. 

Let’s Be Heard, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry’s public participation project, has published its first report. 

Due to Lord Brailsford being unwell, Inquiry hearings originally scheduled for Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 November have been postponed.

Dr Alexandra Anderson, Head of Let’s Be Heard, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry’s public participation project, is encouraging people across Scotland to share their experiences of the pandemic before the project’s national engagement phase ends on 20 December 2023.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has announced the timetable for its upcoming Health and Social Care Impact Hearings, and is now accepting Requests to Attend.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is now accepting Requests to Attend for the third and fourth weeks of its Health and Social Care Impact Hearings. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published several new documents and policies that relate to academic research and the Health and Social Care Impact Hearings. 

Information relating to the hearing and viewing venues, and what witnesses called to give oral evidence can expect, is now on the website.

Information for core participant members/members of the public wishing to attend. 

The Inquiry has published a General Restriction Order which applies to witness statements, documents and other evidence shared by the Inquiry with core participants and others during the course of its investigations and prior to publication of the material by the Inquiry.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published its protocol and application form for witness expenses.

Lord Brailsford, Chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, has met Dr Anders Tegnell, former State Epidemiologist of Sweden, to help the Inquiry understand how other countries responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ian Duddy, Chief Executive to the Inquiry, provides an update on the Inquiry's progress and looks forward to the start of public impact hearings in October. 

Applications will be open from 20 September to close of business on 29 September 2023.

The latest edition of our newsletter features an introduction to the Inquiry's Chief Executive, the latest on the upcoming impact hearings, and more information about long COVID forming part of the Inquiry's investigations.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry’s preliminary hearing will be confined to one day. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has confirmed the venue for its health and social care impact hearings, which will begin in October 2023.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is inviting requests to attend its preliminary hearing on 28 and 29 August in Edinburgh.  

The Inquiry has published a commissioned report from an independent expert on the scientific and medical understanding of coronavirus and COVID-19 as it existed up until the end of 2022.

The Chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has been granted leave to intervene in the claim for judicial review brought by the Cabinet Office against the Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry relating to the recovery of documents.

The Inquiry is inviting members of the public to attend its first public event - a ‘scene-setting’ presentation on the epidemiology of COVID-19.

Ian Duddy is to join the Inquiry from the Scottish Human Rights Commission, where he is currently Chair.  

Lord Brailsford has determined that certain matters relating to long COVID fall within the Inquiry’s formal remit.

Let’s Be Heard is the main channel for people who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022 to share their experiences with the Inquiry, tell us how those experiences impacted on them and people they know, and highlight any lessons they believe should be learned so we are better prepared in future. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has reopened the core participant and funding application process for its health and social care investigations. Applications can be submitted until 11.59pm on 14 April 2023. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has announced a thematic approach to its hearings and investigations, prioritising people most impacted by the pandemic in Scotland.   

The latest edition of our newsletter features the official name of the Inquiry's public participation project, how we are working with the UK Covid-19 Inquiry to avoid duplicating work, and a look at the ways in which you can get involved with our Inquiry. 

An agreement has been published setting out how the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry will work together. A memorandum of understanding has been signed by both inquiries and formalises the process. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has today launched its application process for those wishing to claim funding from the Inquiry to cover legal expenses.  

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has signed a lease for premises at Waverley Gate, Edinburgh.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published the list of individuals, groups and organisations granted core participant status by Lord Brailsford, the Inquiry Chair.

Lord Brailsford, Chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, has undertaken an initial series of meetings with bereaved families and relatives of care home residents in Scotland.  

Lord Brailsford, Chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, has appointed Stuart Gale KC as Co-lead Counsel, and Faryma Bahrami, Mary Ellen Stewart and Alan Caskie as Junior Counsel to the Inquiry.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has launched the first phase of its public participation project pilot activities.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has announced to the Scottish Parliament the appointment of Lord Brailsford as the new judicial Chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry. 

The latest edition of our newsletter features more information and updates on the Inquiry continuing its important work pending the appointment of a new Chair, an update on the core participant application status, how we will inform our reports and how we are collaborating with the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

On 19 October 2022 Lady Poole met Sir Jack Beatson, chair of the Independent Commission on UK Public Health Emergency Powers.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry team remains resolutely committed to independently investigating the devolved strategic response to the pandemic in Scotland, and we are continuing our important work on behalf of the public pending the appointment of a new Chair.

Lady Poole, Chair to the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has tendered her resignation and issued the following statement. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has held a staff training day for all working in the Inquiry. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry extends its sincere condolences to The King and the family of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, following the announcement of her death at Balmoral on 8 September 2022. 

Welcome to the first Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry newsletter, allowing people to follow our progress and engage with us in the months and years ahead.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has today launched its application process for those wishing to be designated as a core participant.

The letters have been sent to a range of organisations or individuals that may hold information relevant to the Inquiry's investigation. 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has published a new Protocol on public access to documents. 
 

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has today (15 June 2022) published the introductory research commissioned as part of the planning process in the early stages of the Inquiry establishment.

On 9 June 2022 it was announced in the Scottish Parliament that additional matters would be added to the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference.

As part of the planning process, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry commissioned introductory research from academic institutions including the Universities of Dundee, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier, Glasgow, Highlands and Islands, and Birmingham.

The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has been set up and is officially launched.