he Government will possible lose its authorized problem in opposition to the Covid inquiry, a minister has predicted.
Science minister George Freeman, showing on BBCQuestion Time, insisted the decision to launch judicial review proceedings was not a “cynical waste of time” however admitted he thought the prospect of success unlikely.
His feedback come hours after the Cabinet Office took the extremely uncommon step of in search of a judicial assessment of inquiry chairwoman Baroness Hallett’s order to launch Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and notebooks.
The transfer has prompted recent criticism of Rishi Sunak’s Government, with some specialists questioning the authorized deserves of the Cabinet Office case.
Mr Freeman defended the choice to take authorized motion whereas conceding that he personally thought a defeat within the courts was possible.
“In the end, this is a judicial decision. It’ll be taken by the courts. I happen to think the courts will probably take the view that Baroness Hallett, who’s running the inquiry, is perfectly entitled and empowered to decide whatever she wants,” he informed the programme.
“I don’t think it is a cynical waste of time at all. The privacy point is relevant. I think it’ll clear up and give people confidence, even if all this achieves is to make very clear that the inquiry will treat with absolute confidentiality anything private and we can get on with it.
“I think it is really important that the rules of this are made clear and I absolutely have very little doubt that the courts will find that Baroness Hallett will decide what evidence she deems relevant, and then we’ll get on with it.
“I think personally it’s quite likely that the courts will rule that Baroness Hallett will decide what evidence, but I think it’s a point worth testing.”
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