NOBODY should expect the families of Covid-19 victims to be “silent victims” and a Scottish lawyer said any inquiry must retain their confidence and an assurance that their voices are heard.
Aamer Anwar has written to the Scottish Government on behalf of members of a Scottish branch of the UK group called Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice asking that it meets families to discuss any public inquiry into the pandemic.
He said he was aware of the “sense of powerlessness” felt by people who have lost loved ones, who were forced to challenge institutions to get to the truth.
“Any inquiry set up must retain the confidence of the Scottish families and an assurance that their voices would be heard,” he said.
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“No family should ever have to go through the burden of losing a loved one and then to find that the legal system fails them, compounded by a delay upon delay in an independent investigation of a death.”
He said the Scottish Parliament voted for an inquiry and it was in the SNP manifesto, but if there was solely a UK inquiry, the families he represented want to ensure a
proper investigation took on their concerns.
The lawyer, who has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said: “Scottish families must be seen as core participants in any Covid inquiry and from preliminary discussions with the Scottish Government, we are assured they would wish to adopt an approach where the families are ‘front and centre of any inquiry’– they are acutely aware that any attempt to sideline the families would impact on the credibility and integrity of the inquiry.”
He added: “Humza Yousaf has confirmed that he will meet with the families and myself but that arrangements are being made for the Deputy First Minister and First Minister also to possibly join the meeting.
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“However, before that can happen they were hoping for progress with the UK Government and we understand the meeting with the Scottish families will take place before the end of the summer.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We will set out as soon as possible exactly how we intend to take forward the commitment to holding a public inquiry. Detailed work will be done on the terms of reference and the timescale, and we are clear that we expect the inquiry to begin its work by the end of this year.”
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