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| Blair to face Hutton inquiry |
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| Date : 01-08-2003 17:22 Source : bbc |
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Lord Hutton began by telling a packed court room that the inquiry had been prompted by a "very tragic death" and that it would be fitting to stand for a minute's silence
The senior judge spent the first 35 minutes of the session explaining how he will conduct the inquiry and who he will call to give evidence, including the prime minister, the Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan and Dr Kelly's widow.
He gave a brief synopsis of events leading up to the apparent suicide of the government scientist who was found dead a few days after appearing before a committee of MPs.
Lord Hutton said his task was to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death, quickly and fairly.
He also revealed that Dr Kelly's body had been found with four electrocardiogram pads on his chest - one of the issues he wished to resolve.
And he said that the post mortem investigation found that Dr Kelly had removed his watch and glasses before he died, which suggested deliberate self harm.
Dr Kelly was at the centre of a row between the government and the BBC over claims about Iraq's weapons capability.
He died days after giving evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee which was investigating the government's justification for war with Iraq.
He told them he did not think he was the main source for a BBC report alleging the government had "sexed-up" a dossier on weapons of mass destruction.
But after his death the BBC confirmed he was the source - although his name had already been widely circulated in the media before he died.
Kelly letter
A letter from Dr Kelly to his line manager confirming he had met Andrew Gilligan was revealed by the inquiry on Friday.
In it he said he believed his account to the journalist may have been "embellished".
The Hutton inquiry will aim to establish how Dr Kelly's name was made public and what precisely he told journalists.
At the first session Lord Hutton set out the powers of the inquiry and gave a brief run through of the facts of the case established so far.
He also detailed some of the questions that the key players in the case would have to answer.
He cannot force anyone to appear before him but said he would also be seeking evidence from Donald Anderson, the chairman of the foreign affairs select committee.
Lord Hutton said he was inclined to allow a certain amount of cross-examination of witnesses where he believed that it would be "helpful" to the inquiry.
But he stressed that he was not in the business of conducting a trial.
Family distress
TV cameras were allowed to film Lord Hutton's opening statement but the inquiry then went off air as Geoffrey Robertson QC, representing ITN and Sky, made an application for the evidence of key witnesses to be broadcast.
Mr Robertson argued that 65% of the public received news from the television, which, he said, is capable of portraying the tone of voice and body language of witnesses - something which cannot be represented in newspapers.
But Jeremy Gompertz QC, for the Kelly family, opposed the application, saying the presence of TV cameras at the inquiry would only "intensify their ordeal".
He also said they did not wish anyone else to undergo the intense scrutiny that Dr Kelly experienced prior to his death.
Lord Hutton, a former Lord Chief Justice in Northern Ireland, who is familiar with politically sensitive issues, delayed a decision on whether to allow the application until the inquiry reconvenes on 11 August. He then adjourned the first session.
Full transcripts from each day's session will be published on the inquiry's website.
It is hoped Lord Hutton's findings will be reported before the end of the year.
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