The collapse of the Sheku Bayoh public inquiry last week has led to some predictable anger and outrage. Including the costs to an already cash-strapped police service, the spending of a casual £50 million over three years only to see the Chair of the Inquiry, Lord Bracadale (and many of his wider team, including Counsel to the Inquiry, Angela Graham KC), walk away at the eleventh hour is more than deserving of critical examination.

Whilst there are many legitimate questions over the propriety of holding a public inquiry in the first place, including the surgical observations of SNP MSP Michelle Thomson in the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Audit Committee (looking at the cost-effectiveness of public inquiries), who commented, “We have, however, seen the example of a solicitor who takes on or prospects for a very high-profile case and then actively advocates for – and lobbies their best friend for – a public inquiry. In that particular instance, the best friend happened to be the Justice Secretary in the Scottish Government,” the unavoidable reality is that one had been set up, and in doing so it was incumbent........

© Herald Scotland