The British People’s Covid Inquiry
The People’s Covid inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic in England – misconduct in the public service.
Key findings included that the state of exhaustion of the National Health Service and other public services before the pandemic was a key factor in poor outcomes. Moreover, the government was ill-prepared and reacted too slowly, adopting an incorrect strategy resulting in loss of life and growing distrust of its advice. Furthermore, a consistent failure of government policies to reduce inequalities puts the most vulnerable at high risk of illness and death from COVID-19.
The People’s Covid inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic in England – misconduct in the public service.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
Article 1 of the United Nations Charter of 1945,
[1945UNCharter[1945Chartedel’ONU
and the constitutional provisions of the WHO and the World Health Assembly giving rise to the International Health Regulations.
International Health Regulations (2005), 3rd ed.
Articles 12 (1) and (2) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 state that “States Parties to this Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. The measures to be taken by States Parties to this Covenant… include those necessary for… (c) The prevention, treatment and control of epidemic, endemic, occupational and other diseases.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The United Kingdom ratified this treaty in 1976.
For conduct to qualify under the criminal law as misconduct in the performance of a public duty, it must be serious enough to constitute an abuse of public trust in the office holder and an affront to the reputation of the public office held. The People’s Covid Inquiry concluded ministers did indeed have a case to answer.
I’m co-chair of Keep Our NHS Public, the organization that designed and coordinated the People’s Covid Inquiry.
The references
- 1.
The People’s Covid inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic in England – misconduct in the public service.
Popular survey on the Covid,
London2021 - 2.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
- 3.
[1945UNCharter[1945Chartedel’ONU
- 4.
International Health Regulations (2005), 3rd ed.
- 5.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
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Publication history
Posted: January 15, 2022
Identification
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02803-8
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© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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