Lady Smith has announced today, 9 July 2020, that hearings relating to the child migration case study will resume in mid-September 2020.
Subject to ongoing public health guidance and physical distancing measures, it is hoped that the hearings will take place at the Inquiry’s hearing venue at Rosebery House and is likely to involve a combination of evidence from witnesses in person as well as remote evidence by video-link.
Further details will be provided as soon as we are able to do so.
Other hearings postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are being rescheduled. The phase of evidence relating to the Scottish Government knowledge and response to abuse is planned for mid-November 2020. A case study examining the abuse of children in Boarding Schools is now expected to start in early 2021.
The Inquiry is considering when it might be able to safely resume face- face meetings but in the meantime, we have been harnessing technology to take statements from certain applicants who are agreeable to have their statements taken remotely.
Our witness support team continue to operate the Talk to Us phone line and supporting applicants and other witnesses throughout this challenging time.