|
||||||||
  |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charles office defends inquiry
LONDON, England -- Prince Charles's office has defended itself against criticism of its decision to hold only an internal inquiry into the collapse of the Paul Burrell trial. Labour MPs and newspaper critics slammed the internal review announced by St. James's Palace as not sufficiently independent. But a spokeswoman for the heir to the British throne said its legitimacy would be safeguarded by the inclusion of an eminent lawyer on the inquiry team. The lawyer, Edmund Lawson QC, insisted the inquiry -- which will also examine lurid allegations of homosexual rape at the palace and claims that royal gifts have been sold -- would be "thorough and impartial." (Inquiry terms) The prince's private secretary Sir Michael Peat will be joined in his investigation by Lawson to look into concerns about the way the Burrell trial collapsed when the Queen came forward with information undermining the prosecution's case. A spokeswoman for the prince told the UK's Press Association on Wednesday: "It's an internal inquiry, yes, but with the help of someone external. Edmund Lawson QC does have a reputation for being independent." Lawson also issued a statement through the palace, promising that "no punches would be pulled". He said: "I'm pleased to assist Sir Michael Peat in this inquiry. Sir Michael and I have met to discuss the way forward. "He has stressed to me the Prince of Wales's and his concern to ensure that the inquiry is thorough and impartial and that my assistance has been sought both to achieve that and so that I can, in particular, address the legal aspects. "No punches are to be pulled. I must now acquaint myself with the documents already available with a view to identifying and pursuing further potential sources of information." The announcement on Tuesday night that the queen would not be questioned fell short of expectations that it would address her involvement in the Burrell trial, which collapsed after she came forward with crucial information. Earlier on Wednesday in one of Britain's set piece ceremonials of the year, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II opened parliament with a prepared speech outlining legislation to be brought forward by Prime Minister Tony Blair's government. As is traditional, she did not deviate from the prepared text and no mention was made of issues or events following the collapse of the Burrell trial. Wednesday's state opening was to have marked the successful culmination of the queen's Golden Jubilee year but recent allegations about lurid acitivities at the royal places cast something of a a shadow over the ceremony. Labour MP David Winnick said Peat's investigation would do nothing to quell public suspicions that the Queen spoke up to prevent embarrassing revelations emerging when the former butler gave evidence. "The sensational way in which the case collapsed will inevitably cause people to raise questions and if there is no external inquiry, then quite a lot of people will say there is something to hide when quite likely there is nothing to hide at all," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "A High Court judge could look into all aspects and there would be confidence that that judge would be totally impartial." The vice-president of the Society of Labour Lawyers, Geoffrey Bindman, told PA an independent inquiry, headed by an outsider, "would carry more weight and allay public suspicion."
"There needs to be an examination of the constitutional position of the monarchy in relation to the prosecution process," he said. Royal historian Professor Ben Pimlott, who has written a biography of the queen, said: "I think what would be unfortunate if there was any sense of traditional Palace clamming up. If there is sense that things were being withheld, then the rumour mills would get going again and it would get worse and go on longer." He also criticised the decision to look only at the "murky, misty world" of allegations about the conduct of royal servants and not to examine the full circumstances of the collapse of the Burrell trial. "There is some suggestion that in the course of investigations some obvious lines of inquiry were not pursued on the grounds of possibly giving special treatment to members of the Royal Family," he told PA. "That may be quite untrue but that suggestion has been made and needs to be laid to rest." The palace inquiry, expected to publish its report by Christmas, will look at the fall-out of the Burrell trial, allegations of a cover-up over accusations of homosexual rape by one of the Prince of Wales's senior aides and the issue of royal gifts allegedly being sold on for cash. Sir Michael insisted he had been instructed to carry out the inquiry by the Prince of Wales "without fear or favour."
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
