The oral examination of Justice Lowell Goddard by the Home Affairs Select Committee was pitifully inadequate

Earlier this afternoon I listened to the totality of the "pre-appointment hearing" for Justice Lowell Goddard conducted by the Home Affairs Select Committee.

In my view the questions from the Home Affairs Select Committee were pitifully inadequate.

The Committee, in my view, failed to inquire into the quality of Justice Goddard's past work on child abuse and also failed adequately to inquire into factors which might bar Justice Goddard from chairing the Inquiry.

In addition, the questions which I believe Keith Vaz must address, Keith Vaz must make a public statement on his past if he is to continue as Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee were quietly sidestepped.

How can it be right that a man who tried to change the Law to keep secret allegations of paedophilia by the powerful can be in charge of the pre-appointment hearing for the Chair of a child abuse inquiry?

It remains my view that Mr. Vaz should resign. The Inquiry Panel and Keith Vaz must go - Letter to Theresa May and Mark Sedwill


The Home Affairs Select Committee is to publish the Report into Justice Goddard at 00.01 on Friday 13th February. See Committee to publish report on the Appointment of the Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

Given that I'm aware that the Committee received written evidence I'll await publication of the Committee's Report before commenting in detail about the inadequacy of the Committee's "inquiry".