Following the preliminary hearing on the Westminster investigation on 31 January, the Chair of the Inquiry has announced her decisions in regard to three renewal applications for core participant status of Daniel Janner QC, Laura Janner-Klausner and Marion Janner and WM-A4.
A summary of Prof Alexis Jay’s decision is as follows:
"I have decided not to grant core participant status to Daniel Janner QC, Laura Janner-Klausner and Marion Janner and the applicant known as WM-A4 in the Westminster Investigation. In my view the case management reasons for not merging the investigation into the institutional responses to allegations of child sexual abuse involving the late Lord Janner of Braunstone QC with the Westminster investigation continue to apply. To the extent that Mr Janner’s application is based on concerns about his father’s reputation, and his ability to respond to allegations made about his father, these are matters for the Investigation involving the late Lord Janner of Braunstone QC, in which the children of the late Lord Janner have already been granted core participant status.
"In respect of the application by WM-A4 and his alleged abuse within Hackney Social Services, I am not satisfied that the alleged awareness of this organisation falls within the Westminster investigation, which is concerned with the awareness of Ministers, party whips, political parties, the intelligence and/or security agencies, law enforcement agencies and/or prosecuting authorities of the involvement of people of public prominence associated with Westminster. Hackney Social Services is not, in my view, such a Westminster institution. I acknowledge that WM-A4 may be able to provide the investigation with a first-hand account of what his lawyer described as “a system” of practices involving child sexual abuse operating at Westminster. This may well make him a useful witness to this investigation and the Inquiry will consider whether to ask him to provide a witness statement."
All three of the final notices of determination can be found on our website.