Witnesses appearing before the Inquiry will be taken through their witness statement and any other relevant material. Inquiries are designed to find facts and the detailed questioning of witnesses is for the purpose of establishing as complete a picture of the facts as possible.
There are no defendants in an inquiry and so questioning is not for the purpose of establishing guilt or, in the reverse, to prove innocence.
The Inquiry ensures that all witnesses are supported. The Chairman has a wide discretion in making arrangements to ensure that those who are vulnerable or have special needs of any kind are able to give their evidence in the least distressing and most effective way.
The Inquiry liaises with the legal representatives of witnesses and, where appropriate, their support team including any counsellors to ensure the appropriate support arrangements are in place.
This includes the option of familiarisation visits of the hearing room so a witness knows what to expect and discussion of the different ways they can be supported or provide their evidence.
The Inquiry has published a protocol for vulnerable witnesses, which details the range of support the Inquiry can provide to support witnesses. grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/sites/default/…
The NHS and Hestia outreach and counselling teams are available on site at all hearings to provide support. Witnesses and those attending the hearings are also welcome to bring their own counselling support.
