On 7th November 2022 the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice (CBFFJ) group received a Rule 9 request for information relating to Module 2 of the Covid Inquiry from the Inquiry Legal Team (ILT). The Chair and her team gave us an initial deadline of the 28th November to fulfil this request. After making submissions along with other Core Participants, this deadline was extended to 9th December. We were able to gather the relevant information and fulfil that request on behalf of CBFFJ last week, shortly before the deadline. The full response to this Rule 9 request is now available for you to read below.

{"preview_thumbnail":"/sites/default/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/Oe1U8mUbI-g.jpg?itok=ETUWTofw","video_url":"https://youtu.be/Oe1U8mUbI-g","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

Your legal and counsel team will be touring the country to meet with you face-to-face, starting with Manchester on the 6th December and Liverpool on the 8th December.

Members of your legal team will be in attendance to help you get a better understanding of this legal process. The aim of these meetings is to take instructions from you, our clients, about what issues are of greatest importance to you so that we can advocate on your behalf that those matters should be explored in the hearings.

You will be joined at the meetings by:

• Elkan Abrahamson
• Pete Weatherby KC
• Nicola Brook
• Mira Hammad

There is very limited availability for these meetings, so if you would like to claim your free ticket simply follow this link to secure your spot:

Liverpool - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/liverpool-meeting-tickets-474641865597

Manchester - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/manchester-meeting-tickets-474750991997

Important information

Moving forward, the Inquiry is insisting that we have signed undertakings from any clients who would like to view material and information that is confidential to the Inquiry. For this reason, anyone who would like to attend a meeting must sign an undertaking beforehand. We will have blank undertakings at the venue for you to sign.

To ensure everybody’s safety, we would also recommend that you take a Covid test on the morning of the meeting to ensure that you are negative.

Ahead of the Module 2 preliminary hearing that took place on 31st October, we made written submissions on behalf of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group for the Chair’s consideration, which Pete Weatherby KC then presented orally at the preliminary hearing. The Chair has read our submissions and has now made her decision, issuing a list of 'directions'. 

You can read the directions in full below. 

Earlier this week, together with the Northern Ireland legal team, we sent joint submissions for Module 2 to the Chair and Inquiry Legal Team (ILT) on your behalf. These submissions address some of the key issues with Module 2 that we have identified based on our experience so far and your feedback. As Core Participants, and, more importantly, as bereaved family members, it is important that your concerns are heard and addressed by the Chair and her team.

The submissions will be expanded upon by Pete Weatherby KC and Ronan Lavery KC at the preliminary hearings next week. Pete Weatherby KC will speak to the UK wide issues on the 31st October, and Ronan Lavery KC will speak to issues specific to those in Northern Ireland on Wednesday 2nd November at the submodule 2C preliminary hearing.

You can read the written submissions in full below.