__________ REPORT ON PUBLIC INQUIRIES INCLUDING TRIBUNALS OF INQUIRY __________ (LRC 73-2005) IRELAND The Law Reform Commission 35-39 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 © Copyright The Law Reform Commission 2005 First Published May 2005 ISSN 1393 – 3132 ii An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD Department of the Taoiseach Government Buildings Upper Merrion Street Dublin 2 24 May 2005 Report on Public Inquiries Including Tribunals of Inquiry Dear Taoiseach, I enclose a copy of the Commission’s Report on Public Inquiries Including Tribunals of Inquiry (LRC 73-2005) which will be published in the near future. Yours sincerely, ________________ Catherine McGuinness President iii THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION Background The Law Reform Commission is an independent statutory body whose main aim is to keep the law under review and to make practical proposals for its reform. It was established on 20 October 1975, pursuant to section 3 of the Law Reform Commission Act 1975. The Commission’s Second Programme for Law Reform, prepared in consultation with the Attorney General, was approved by the Government and copies were laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas in December 2000. The Commission also works on matters which are referred to it on occasion by the Attorney General under the terms of the 1975 Act. To date, the Commission has published seventy one Reports containing proposals for reform of the law; eleven Working Papers; thirty seven Consultation Papers; a number of specialised Papers for limited circulation; An Examination of the Law of Bail; and twenty five Annual Reports in accordance with section 6 of the 1975 Act. A full list of its publications is contained in the Appendix B to this Report. Membership The Law Reform Commission consists of a President, one full-time Commissioner and three part-time Commissioners. The Commissioners at present are: President The Hon Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, Supreme Court Full-Time Commissioner Patricia T Rickard-Clarke Solicitor Part-Time Commissioner Dr Hilary A Delany, Barrister-at-Law Senior Lecturer in Law, Head of Law School, Trinity College Dublin iv Part-time Commissioner Professor Finbarr McAuley Jean Monnet Professor of European Criminal Justice, University College Dublin Part-time Commissioner Marian Shanley, Solicitor Secretary John Quirke Research Staff Director of Research Raymond Byrne BCL, LLM, Barrister-at-Law Legal Researchers Deirdre Ahern LLB, LLM (Cantab), Solicitor Alan Brady LLB, LLM (Lond), Attorney-at-Law (New York) Ronan Flanagan LLB, LLM (Cantab) Roberta Guiry BCL, LLM (NUI) Orla Joyce BCL, LLM (Cantab) Sinéad Ring BCL (Law & German), LLM (NUI) Mary Townsend BCL, LLM (NUI) Aisling Wall BCL, LLM (Cantab) Administration Staff Project Manager Pearse Rayel Executive Officer Denis McKenna Legal Information Manager Conor Kennedy BA, H Dip LIS Cataloguer Eithne Boland BA (Hons) H Dip Ed, H Dip LIS v Information Technology Officer Liam Dargan Clerical Officers Alan Bonny Debbie Murray Principal Legal Researchers on this Report Darren Lehane BCL, LLM (NUI), Barrister-at-Law Rosemary Healy-Rae AITI, Barrister-at-Law Marcus Bourke MA, Barrister-at-Law, former Parliamentary Draftsman assisted in the drafting of the attached Bill. Further information can be obtained from: The Secretary The Law Reform Commission 35-39 Shelbourne Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 Telephone (01) 637 7600 Fax No (01) 637 7601 Email [email protected] Website www.lawreform.ie 1. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Commission would like to thank the following for their assistance in the preparation of this Report. The Hon Mr Justice Robert Barr The Hon Mr Justice Declan Budd Mr David Clarke, Solicitor Ms Helen Collins, Solicitor His Honour Judge Alan Mahon SC Professor David Gwynn Morgan The Hon Mr Justice Michael Moriarty The Hon Mr Justice Frederick Morris The Hon Mr Justice Francis Murphy Ms Lia O’Hegarty, Barrister-at-Law Mr Kevin O’Higgins, Solicitor Ms Maria O’Sullivan, Solicitor Mr Owen O’Sullivan, Solicitor The Hon Mr Justice Sean Ryan Full responsibility for this publication, however, lies with the Commission. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1 PUBLIC INQUIRIES ..................................................................5 A Introduction........................................................................................................5 B Public Inquiries..................................................................................................5 C Investigatory Inquiries.......................................................................................5 (1) Company Inspectors ..................................................................................6 (2) Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse .................................................6 (3) Oireachtas Inquiries...................................................................................7 D Commissions of Investigation...........................................................................7 (1) Establishment.............................................................................................9 (2) Terms of Reference .................................................................................10 (3) Procedures and Private Nature ................................................................10 (4) Costs ......................................................................................................12 (5) Connection with Tribunals of Inquiry.....................................................13 CHAPTER 2 NATURE OF AND ESTABLISHMENT OF TRIBUNALS OF INQUIRY .............................................................................15 A Introduction......................................................................................................15 B Tribunals of Inquiry.........................................................................................15 (1) Introduction..............................................................................................15 (2) History .....................................................................................................16 (3) Inquisitorial Nature of Tribunals of Inquiry ...........................................18 (4) Purposes and Functions of Tribunals of Inquiry.....................................20 C Should there be an Express Power to Establish Tribunals of Inquiry............21 (1) Consultation Paper...................................................................................22 (2) Discussion................................................................................................22 (3) Recommendation.....................................................................................25 D Permanent Standing Inspectorate and Central Inquiries Office .....................26 (1) Permanent Standing Inspectorate............................................................26 (2) Central Inquiries Office...........................................................................28 E Separate Legal Personality ..............................................................................31 F Independence ...................................................................................................32 CHAPTER 3 TERMS OF REFERENCE.......................................................35 A Introduction......................................................................................................35 B Drafting Terms of Reference...........................................................................35 (1) Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921..............................................35 (2) Recent Practice Regarding the Drafting of Terms of Reference............36 (3) Consultation Paper Recommendation.....................................................37 (4) Discussion................................................................................................38 (5) Recommendation.....................................................................................40 C Amending Terms of Reference .......................................................................41 (1) Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921, as amended.........................41 viii (2) Consultation Paper Recommendation.....................................................42 (3) Discussion................................................................................................42 (4) Recommendation.....................................................................................44 CHAPTER 4 MEMBERSHIP..........................................................................47 A Introduction......................................................................................................47 B Membership .....................................................................................................47 (1) Responsibility for Appointment..............................................................47 (2) Qualifications for Appointment ..............................................................50 (3) Termination of Appointment...................................................................58 (4) Effect of the Appointment of a New Tribunal Member .........................61 C Reserve Members ............................................................................................62 (1) Appointment ............................................................................................62 D Experts .............................................................................................................63