Full release of Sir Patrick Vallance diary entries a breach of human rights

16/10/2023 | BBC News

Lawyers for Sir Patrick Vallance have requested that complete pages from his diaries not be displayed on screen in the Covid inquiry's public hearings. The former chief scientific adviser of the UK government used evening notes to document his thoughts during the pandemic, which he referred to as a "brain dump" to maintain his mental health. Sir Patrick's lawyer argued that only the text mentioned during hearings should be released. Eight media organizations, including the BBC, have submitted a joint petition requesting that the entries be displayed in context as part of a full diary page. The inquiry's chairwoman, Baroness Hallett, must now consider their submission, which is supported by groups representing bereaved families. Sir Patrick's informal diaries, or evening notes, have already been referred to many times during the inquiry's second phase, which focuses on political decision-making from January 2020 to February 2022.

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