Call for new mechanism to oversee action on state-related deaths

More than 40 organisations are calling on the government to address the ‘lack of accountability, transparency and action’ on recommendations arising from investigations into state-related deaths.

The group, which includes INQUEST, Criminal Justice Alliance, Liberty, and Grenfell United, is asking for a new independent public body to form a national oversight mechanism responsible for collating, monitoring and following up recommendations arising from inquests, inquiries, official reviews and other investigations.

The Justice Committee was told earlier this year, before it was dissolved for the general election, that coroners’ Prevention of Future Deaths reports (PFDs) were ‘not being used in a way that can help protect lives’ due to the lack of a centralised database and there was ‘no local or national approach to formally or systemically address [similar deaths occurring]’.

The coalition of organisations is urging the government to bring forward legislation to address the ‘accountability gap’.

Currently, no formal framework exists to monitor compliance or actions taken following public inquiries, inquests, investigations and official reviews.

The national oversight mechanism, the coalition said, would collate recommendations and responses in a national database, analyse responses from public bodies and issue reports, and follow up on progress, escalate any concerns and share thematic findings.

The database would make clear when an agency had implemented, partly implemented, rejected or not responded to a recommendation. The group said it would be a legal requirement to respond to the national oversight mechanism.

Deborah Coles, director of INQUEST, said that coroners' findings are undermined by the lack of any mechanism for following up on their recommendations. ‘We need a national oversight mechanism to address this shocking accountability gap and ensure that when recommendations are made following deaths they are not lost or left to gather dust. This would do justice to bereaved families and help protect lives.’

Natasha Elcock, chair of Grenfell United, said: ‘Bereaved and survivors should not have to fight to hold government to account to ensure learning and change and that history is not repeated.’

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