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Abuse inquiry head Fiona Woolf should resign, lawyer says Legal challenge launched over abuse inquiry chair
(about 1 hour later)
The head of the public inquiry into historical sex abuse should step down, a lawyer representing victims has said. A victim of historical child sexual abuse has launched a legal challenge to the choice of Fiona Woolf as the chair of the inquiry investigating the issue.
Alison Millar said Fiona Woolf lacked "credibility" among victims and had "no background" in child protection. A judicial review application, seen by the BBC, claims she is not impartial, has no relevant expertise and may not have time to discharge her duties.
On Tuesday Mrs Woolf said she had dined with Lord Brittan - home secretary in 1984 when ministers were handed a dossier on alleged high-profile paedophiles - five times since 2008. Several MPs have called on the lawyer to stand down over her social links to former home secretary Lord Brittan.
But abuse victim Sharon Evans said the inquiry should get on with its work. But ministers have insisted she will do an "excellent" job leading the inquiry.
Questions have been asked about Mrs Woolf's suitability for the role given that she has no experience in child protection or family law and because of her links to the former home secretary. The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said he believed the government would do everything it could to "cling onto" Mrs Woolf given that her predecessor in the role had already stood down and the inquiry was being asked to produce an interim report by the end of March.
Ms Millar, of law firm Leigh Day, said: "This is not really about Fiona Woolf's ability or her integrity, this is about her independence and her ability to lead this inquiry in a way that is credible to the survivors of abuse." Questions have been asked about Mrs Woolf's suitability for the role given that she has no experience in child protection or family law and on Tuesday revealed that she had dined with Lord Brittan - home secretary in 1984 when ministers were handed a dossier on alleged high-profile paedophiles - five times since 2008.
To be a "good manager" Mrs Woolf must be seen as independent, Ms Millar told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. The legal challenge to her appointment could be heard before the end of the year.
"Somebody who seems to be on dinner party terms with a senior political figure whose knowledge this inquiry will be scrutinising is somebody who, from the perspective of my clients, does not have the necessary independence," she said. Judicial review is used to challenge the decisions of government and other organisations based on the law. Most applications don't get past the initial stage and are rejected by a judge.
Andy Lavery, a victim of abuse at a school in the 1980s, told Today that he had "zero confidence" in the inquiry, suggesting it had "no investigatory powers" and Mrs Woolf appeared "weak as water" when she was questioned by MPs on Tuesday. 'Lack of confidence'
The application comes amid calls from a number of MPs from different parties calling for her to consider her position.
Lib Dem MP John Hemming said Mrs Woolf's personal contacts "would give no confidence to the victims that have been ignored for many years" while Conservative Nadine Dorries tweeted that Mrs Woolf "no longer had full public and victim confidence".
Andi Lavery, who describes himself as a "survivor of abuse" at a school in the 1980s, told BBC Radio 4's Today that he had "zero confidence" in the inquiry, suggesting it had "no investigatory powers" and Mrs Woolf appeared "weak as water" when she was questioned by MPs on Tuesday.
And Alison Millar, whose law firm Leigh Day is representing victims of abuse, told Today: "This is not really about Fiona Woolf's ability or her integrity, this is about her independence and her ability to lead this inquiry in a way that is credible to the survivors of abuse.
"Somebody who seems to be on dinner party terms with a senior political figure whose knowledge this inquiry will be scrutinising is somebody who, from the perspective of my clients, does not have the necessary independence."
But Sharon Evans, a member of the inquiry panel, said it had "got off to a difficult start" but she was confident it was representative, with a QC and investigator from HMIC as well as people, like herself, with personal experience of abuse.But Sharon Evans, a member of the inquiry panel, said it had "got off to a difficult start" but she was confident it was representative, with a QC and investigator from HMIC as well as people, like herself, with personal experience of abuse.
"There has been so much focus on Mrs Woolf," Ms Evans, chief of the Dotcom Children's Foundation, told Today. "There are nine people on the panel with an enormous background and expertise in this job," Ms Evans, chief of the Dotcom Children's Foundation, told Today.
"There are nine people on the panel with an enormous background and expertise in this job.
"There are victims on this panel and we are determined to get to the bottom of this. The fact that we are part of this will give people confidence and we will listen.""There are victims on this panel and we are determined to get to the bottom of this. The fact that we are part of this will give people confidence and we will listen."
Mrs Woolf, a lawyer and currently Lord Mayor of London, has confirmed she lived in the same London street as Lord Brittan and had invited him and his wife to dinner on three occasions, and had two dinners at their house between 2008 and 2012. Home Office minister James Brokenshire said the inquiry should be allowed to get on with its work.
She also disclosed that she sat on the advisory body of CityUK, of which Lord Brittan has also been a member, and had had a coffee with Lady Brittan on a "small number of occasions". "Fiona Woolf is an excellent chair of the panel and backed up by a real panel of experts," he told the BBC News Channel.
Mrs Woolf appeared before MPs on the home affairs committee on Tuesday and said she wanted to "lay to rest" speculation over links with Lord Brittan. "They have confidence in her. We have confidence in her.... people want answers on historical child sex abuse. We want the panel under Fiona Woolf's chairmanship to get on with the job and get those questions answered."
She said the Conservative peer was "one of thousands of people" she knew and was not a "close associate". Dinners
She added: "Let us remind ourselves that this is not an inquiry about Lord Brittan but about hundreds of institutions and frankly thousands of systemic failures." Mrs Woolf, a lawyer and currently Lord Mayor of London, confirmed on Tuesday she lived in the same London street as Lord Brittan and had invited him and his wife to dinner on three occasions, and had two dinners at their house between 2008 and 2012.
'Total error' Appearing before MPs on the home affairs committee on Tuesday, saying she wanted to "lay to rest" speculation over links with Lord Brittan, describing him as "one of thousands of people" she knew.
Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who campaigned for the inquiry, told the BBC on Tuesday he thought Mrs Woolf should resign.
"I don't know what world she inhabits but where I come from if you've been to dinner at somebody's home and vice versa then you're relatively close - you'd consider them friends," he said.
He accused the Home Office of a "total error of judgement".
Mrs Woolf was appointed after the government's original choice, Baroness Butler-Sloss, stepped down after victims' families expressed concerns about her independence.Mrs Woolf was appointed after the government's original choice, Baroness Butler-Sloss, stepped down after victims' families expressed concerns about her independence.
Her late brother Lord Havers was attorney general at the time allegations about high-profile paedophiles were passed to ministers by the late Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens.Her late brother Lord Havers was attorney general at the time allegations about high-profile paedophiles were passed to ministers by the late Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens.
The dossier was considered by Home Office officials in 1984 and handed to police but no action was taken and the information has since disappeared.The dossier was considered by Home Office officials in 1984 and handed to police but no action was taken and the information has since disappeared.
Lord Brittan has insisted that proper procedures were followed.Lord Brittan has insisted that proper procedures were followed.
Home Secretary Theresa May has outlined the terms of the inquiry, which was triggered by allegations of child sex abuse by celebrities and public figures working in the media, politics and other walks of life. The inquiry, triggered by allegations of child sex abuse by public figures working in the media, politics and other walks of life, will examine the conduct of almost all major UK institutions
It will examine the conduct of almost all the major institutions in public life - including Parliament, the police, political parties, churches and schools - and how they responded to abuse allegations.
Although it will not have the power to instigate criminal prosecutions, all allegations of abuse will be passed to police.Although it will not have the power to instigate criminal prosecutions, all allegations of abuse will be passed to police.
Mrs Woolf will head a panel including child abuse experts and at least one victim of abuse.