Macur Review Questions and Answers

The Macur Review – frequently asked questions 

 

What is the Macur Review?

The independent Macur Review was established to examine the conduct and remit of

Sir Ronald Waterhouse’s inquiry into the abuse of children in care in the Gwynedd

and Clwyd Council areas. The Review’s Terms of Reference are:

“To review the scope of the Waterhouse Inquiry, and whether any specific

allegations of child abuse falling within the terms of reference were not

investigated by the Inquiry, and to make recommendations to the Secretary of

state for Justice and the Secretary of State for Wales. 

 

Why has the decision been taken to have a review now, and by whom?

The Review was established following a statement by the Secretary of State for

Justice, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, on 8 November 2012, and in response to

renewed concerns expressed. 

 

I have heard about an investigation called Operation Pallial. Is that the same as

the Macur Review?

No. Operation Pallial is a separate police investigation running in parallel with the

Macur Review. It is investigating new allegations of historic child abuse, some from

victims previously known about and some fr

om victims who have only recently come

forward for the first time. However, the Macur Review and Operation Pallial have

agreed to work closely together on matters of mutual interest. 

 

Who picked Mrs Justice Macur and why?

Mrs Justice Macur was appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice. She is a

judge in the Family Division of the High Court.

How will the Review be conducted?

The Review will have two main parts. The fi

rst will involve an examination of the

Waterhouse Inquiry’s documents. The second will be concerned with receiving new

information from anyone who believes they

have relevant information and wishes to

get in contact with us. 

 

What is the Issues Paper?

The Issues Paper

was published on 8 January 2013 and sets out some questions

about issues that we are particularly interested in, but it is not intended to be an

exhaustive list. If anyone has information that is not explicitly covered by these

questions, but is relevant to our terms of reference, then we would welcome that

information too.

Who do you expect to hear from during the Review? Is there a deadline?

We are asking anybody who has informati

on on, or concerns about, the setting up,

scope, administration and conduct of the Waterhouse Inquiry to contact the Review.

We would like to hear from you by 29 March 2013.

Do I have to submit answers to all seven questions outlined in the issues

paper or can I submit my own views as free text?

The seven questions in the Issues Paper use our Terms of Reference simply to give

an indication of some of the key areas that we are looking at as part of the Review.

But they are not intended to be an exhaustive list. You can submit answers to any or

all of those questions, or comment on any other issues that you think are relevant to

the Review’s Terms of Reference.

Do I have to respond in writing?

No. As well as written responses, we have set up a facility for people to leave a

verbal response. The Freefone number is 0800 313 4139. You will not be charged as

long as you phone from a landline.

Can I submit my response to the Review team in Welsh?

We welcome responses in either English or Welsh.

Will I able to discuss my views in Welsh if the Review team contact me for

clarification?

If you prefer, we can write to you in Welsh, and would welcome in that language any

further detail that you wish to give in writing. Unfortunately, we are not able to

discuss issues by telephone in the Welsh language.

Will I need to travel to London for any reason if I submit a response to the

Review?

If you are invited to meet with the Review team, it will take place at a location

convenient to you wherever possible.

Will I have to be interviewed by someone?

No. We welcome all responses to the Issues Paper, either in writing or verbally on

our Freefone number 0800 313 4139. In some cases, you might be contacted by a

member of the Review team to ask for further information. This might take the form of

a meeting, but it will be entirely up to you whether or not you attend.

If the Judge wants to interview me can I bring someone along to support me?

Yes, we fully understand that you might find it helpful to have someone with you at

the meeting to support you.

If the Judge wants to interview me can I seek legal advice and is there any

financial help if I can’t afford a solicitor?

Whether you seek legal advice in relation to your involvement with the Review is

entirely a matter for you. But the Review will not normally be able to help with any

legal representation costs that you may incur.

If I’ve been interviewed by the Police as part of Operational Pallial will I need to

speak or write to you separately if I want my views heard by the Macur

Review?

Even if you have already spoken to officers in Operation Pallial, we too would like to

hear from you if you have information relevant to our Review.

Can I respond to the Review if I took part in the original Waterhouse Inquiry?

Yes.

Can I respond on behalf of someone else who is unable to respond to the

Review themselves?

Although we would prefer people having relevant information to contact us

themselves, we recognise that there may be some situations

where they are unable

to do so. In these circumstances, and provided they have agreed, you may respond

on their behalf. But you must clearly explain why they have not been able to respond

themselves.

Can I respond to the Review anonymously?

Yes, if you so wish. However, because difficulties would arise if further clarification of

anything said anonymously were needed, it w

ould be helpful if you could provide us

with your name and contact details in confidence. You should also bear in mind that

the Review may not be able to regard anonymous statements as being wholly

reliable.

In relation to what you say about confidentiality in the Issues Paper, what do

you mean when you say that ‘standard form language on emails is not

sufficient’?

Many email systems automatically add a disclaimer at the end of an email to say that

its contents are confidential. This is not sufficient for us to regard it as the writer t

actually having asked us to treat the info

rmation provided as private and confidential.

If you wish it to be treated that way, you must say so clearly in the body of the email

itself and explain why.

Will the report be made public?

The Review’s Terms of Reference require Mrs Justice Macur to provide her report to

the Government. Whether the report will then be made available publically will be

solely a matter for the Government to decide.

Will I be informed ahead of the report’s publication whether any of the

information I provided will identify me despite my requesting that it be treated

confidentially?

The Review will not identify individuals who hav

e provided us with information if they

have indicated in their submission to us that they wished it to be treated as private

and confidential.

But you should bear in mind that the same information might be

available to the Review from a different source who has not asked for it to be treated

confidentially.