Court
QC Appointed to Chair Covid Review
Tynwald decided against a full inquiry.
Kate Brunner QC has been appointed Chair of the forthcoming review into the gov’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to commence later this year, the review will cover the period from December 2019 to the end of September 2021, assessing decisions made and identifying any lessons to be learnt.
It will also deliver recommendations to ensure that this knowledge is fed into current working practices, and to improve the way gov deals with any future emergency response to a pandemic.
In line with the Terms of Reference agreed by Tynwald in April, Ms Brunner QC is tasked with delivering a final report to Tynwald by December 31 2023.
Called to the bar in 1997, Ms Brunner QC possesses long-standing experience in a range of different areas including criminal law, healthcare law and public law. As Leader of the Western Circuit, she is elected to lead 2,000 barristers in one of the six legal areas or ‘circuits’ of England and Wales, and has led reviews into the closure of courts, and safety in courts during the pandemic.
Speaking on her appointment, Ms Brunner said: ‘
I look forward to leading a comprehensive review into the Manx government’s handling of the pandemic. This will be an entirely independent process, with a focus on drawing out lessons to be learned so that the island can become even more resilient to any future pandemics or similar crises.
‘I recognise the importance of hearing from individuals and groups about how they were affected, as well as investigating government procedures and decision-making. The first steps will involve recruiting a team and setting the methodology, and the anticipated timetable of evidence-gathering will be published as soon as possible.’
