McGrail Inquiry confirms April dates for public hearing

The McGrail Inquiry will reconvene for a public hearing in the Garrison Library from April 9 to April 11.

The dates were confirmed by the Inquiry team on Friday following a ruling by its chairman, retired UK High Court judge Sir Peter Openshaw, earlier this week.

The decision to reconvene comes after the Royal Gibraltar Police and some of its former and serving senior officers disclosed new material months after the main public hearing ended last year.

The material includes WhatsApp messages – including “possible deletions” – between members of the RGP’s senior management team during a critical period with which the Inquiry is concerned.

It also points to “gaps in disclosure” that the Inquiry believes require an explanation in a public hearing.

In the 18-page ruling, Sir Peter Openshaw said none of the newly disclosed material would likely affect the core findings of fact he had reached in his “very advanced” and extensive first draft of the final report, although he would need to incorporate some of it in the document.

But he added the “alleged delays, failures and deletions” raised questions that would have to be scrutinised in a hearing to ensure public confidence in the inquiry.

The three-day hearing in April will set from 10am to 1pm and 2m to 4pm each day.

The Inquiry is currently in discussions with GBC regarding the livestreaming of the hearing.